Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Davis stood alone within the dusk.

“It’s dark,” he thinks to himself. “ Too dark for the digital world. There should be wind blowing, making me freeze all over.

But it’s not,

It’s warm. 

And getting warmer.”

Bright flames appear before Davis. Everything in sight is just burning, and all around he can hear screaming. Instead of running away, Davis drives himself forward into the fire and past them. 

There he makes out the silhouettes of three boys. He can make out one of them, Tai. His mentor and friend. These boys were leaders, leaders just like him. One by one, each of them falls to their demise within the flames. Suddenly, a silhouette of a girl takes a stand where they once stood. Right beside her, a large beast that Davis has trouble making out. But at that moment, he knew all too well it belonged to her. She laughs immorally.

Davis grunts. “I have to-I have to stop them! It’s the only way!”

“Veemon!” On instinct, Davis turns next to him. His partner stands there, fear in his red eyes.

Davis cries, “Digivolve! Do it! Defeat them!”

Tears leave Veemon’s eyes. The Digimon blinks them away as he glows, digivolving into his champion form, X-Veemon. He steps forward, alerting the girl’s beast of his presence. Both X-Veemon and the beast lunge at each other. Clawing and fighting with one another. The flames dance around them, burning brighter and growing with such ferocity.

As they fight, Davis runs towards the girl. An attempt to take her down. He never makes it as a violent screech roars. Davis turns to see X-Veemon cry out and fall into the flames. 

Gone.

Davis screams. “NO! X-VEEMON!”

The girl stares down at him as the beast turns from demolishing his friend, to preparing for its next prey.  

Davis shuts his eyes and shields his face with his Digivice, “ NO! PLEASE NOT YET! ”

The beast pounces at Davis as everything goes completely black.

There is silence, until small drops of water can be heard. Davis put down his arms, looking around to see that all of the flames had disappeared. The rain had come down, and dusk was slowly disappearing. The whole forest around was burnt to a crisp.

“Davis, it's ok.

Look at me” 

Davis turns to the person that spoke. Another girl stood before him. He couldn’t make out her face, but it seemed at that moment, he knew her well.

Davis looks around once more, “What happened?”

The girl smiles softly at him, “You're safe now.”

“Did… did you save me?” Davis asks.

She replies , “No. You won yourself.”

Davis stares at her in disbelief “ I won? ”

“Yeah, you won.” She says.

“How. I swear I-” Davis says.

The girl cuts him off, “Davis, do you know why you won?

“No…” He says.

She takes Davis hand and grasp it tightly 

She faintly laughs. But then something in her soft voice changes,

 “Because you're a hero,

and heroes never lose.” 

Davis jolts up awake, breathing heavily. He is in the dark again, but instead It's a familiar setting. Sitting in his bedroom, wearing a simple white tank-top with black shorts underneath. Sitting up, looking over to his little friend Veemon on the other side of his bed. Now in his small form, DemiVeemon was sleeping, mouth wide open as drool spills out. 

Davis exhales in peace and rubs his face. Once he is pulled together, Davis gets up and walks, passing by hung up and framed pictures of his friends from their time in the Digital World. 

Davis reaches his window, taking into the view of the midnight sky from his apartment building. He let his hand knead into the back of his neck, where pools of sweat had formed.

 My stomach hurts thinking about my dream. Maybe it's because we haven't been to the Digital World in a long while. But it's not like we can walk in now. Now it's closed up

Davis ponders over the dream he just had. Izzy said not to worry about it. And I should just chill out. After all…

Davis slides the window open, feeling the nice breeze coming through. He smiles in relief.

It's the first day of summer.

The name is Takuya, Takuya Bond..

I’m 15 years old, and you could say I've lived a pretty normal life so far. Good friends and Good family. But six months ago, my life was changed forever

I was on a class trip to an art museum, I had no friends except my best friend Keiji Minamoto. He was what you called, a loner. Having a dark mysterious past that not even I know about. Everything was going well on the field trip as Keiji and I sat down together for our lunch break.

“Oh Takuya,” Keiji sighed “Even when we are on this field trip, I can’t help but think of my poor mother.”

As I finished eating a piece of my rice I asked “Well Keniji, y'know I am your best friend for life!  Can you please tell me what's wrong with her, my dear friend?”

Keiji shook his head, “Oh no Takuya, for if  I tell you, it will cause great pain and suffering…”

Before I could respond, one of the teachers called out my name.

“Mr. Bond! I need to have a word with you!” Mr. Clay shouted

I was shocked. For me, Takuya Bond has always been a good student. A student with pride and honorable grades. What does Mr. Clay Need me for?

I walked towards Mr. Clay. “Oh sir, have I caused any trouble?”

Mr. Clay avoided my question. “Please follow me, Mr. Bond.”

I followed Mr. Clay as we went inside the depths of the art museum. Minutes had passed and we had walked so far into the museum. I began to notice the farther we go, the colder it gets. Eventually. Mr. Clay comes to a stop.

“I know too well about you Mr. Bond.” Mr. Clay sneered.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Don't lie to me boy! You think you can play dumb?” Mr. Clay yelled.

“Seriously, what are you talking about? I am a regular kid! What have I done??” 

Mr. Clay laughs, a wicked laugh. 

“Well then, it seems like you would like to do this the hard way!” Mr Clay sneers.

Suddenly, his body began to morphed into this wild monstrosity! Mr. Clay now was covered all over with shaggy black fur, his back arched into the shape of a lion with a pair of the most viscous, sharp teeth. His eyes were yellow, with nothing but a black sharp eye pupil. Mr. Clay slowly began crawling towards me with drops of saliva, falling out of his mouth. His gaze towards me was full of hunger.

I tumbled back, scared for my life. “Is this how I die? By becoming lunch?”

“Takuya!” Another voice called out to me.

I turned around to see Ms. O.  Another teacher of mine. 

She pulls out an object and throws it to me. “Catch my boy!!”

I quickly stood up to catch the object. “A cell phone? How is this gonna help?!”

As I waved the cell phone in my grasp, a beam of light came out from the cellphone. The brightness blinding Mr. Clay and Ms. O suddenly my whole body began to change. 

I had transformed into a warrior. A handsome warrior with red armor and  long blonde hair.

I didn't know it then. But I became a Digimon… 

“None other than… Agunimon!!” Takuya exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair in excitement. The old Warrior of Flame had let his messy brown hair grow out a couple of inches. Wearing a worn out red t-shirt with brown baggy basketball shorts underneath, as they were his pajamas. 

Takuya waited for a scream or a “wow”. Any reaction at all. But his younger brother, Shinya, was sitting on top of Takuya’s bed. With nothing but a bored expression on his face. Shinya wore a black t-shirt with a picture of Spiderman swinging around stamped on it. With a pair of blue cotton pants and matching socks. 

Shinya uncrossed his legs, finally breaking his silence “It sucks.”

Takuya gasped. “What?! This is barely the beginning! You don't know what's gonna happen to the brave warrior Aguinmon !”

Shinya rested his chin on the palm of his hand. “Takuya, I know a good story when I hear one. And from what I heard, this wasn't anything close to it.”

Shinya jumped off of his older brother’s bed and walked straight out of the room.

Takuya felt his face get hot and followed behind his brother “Ugh! You just can't appreciate good writing!”

“I do! Besides, who names monsters “Digimon?” The name sounds like a total rip off!” Shinya yelled out as he closed the door of his bedroom behind him. 

Takuya growled in response, as he turned back to walk inside his bedroom. Looking around, his room had changed over the last 4 years. The orange walls were covered with posters from movies and TV shows that revolved around the particular topic of fantasy and adventure that he loved so much. Even his bookshelf was filled with books and cartoon collection sets like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and his DvD collections of Batman: The Animated Series. A hand down from his father.

The Takuya from four years ago wouldn't even consider having a bookshelf, but only to use to fill in all of the trophies he would win from his soccer matches. Aka two soccer trophies and a Medal for “Good Work”. But after his adventures in Digital World, he couldn't seem to let go of his adventures and others similar to it. Yes, it was dangerous plus quite shocking when he thinks about how he and the rest of his 11 year old friends were left to save the world from Lucemon. The most demonic Digimon they ever encountered and fought to the end. 

However, his time in the Digital World taught him a lot. It changed his own perspective on things. Takuya can still vividly remember the surprise from his parents when their stubborn and immature son left their house for an hour, and came back a responsible, selfless and wiser.

Takuya never wanted to forget his experience in this flight of adventure. So he began writing his own stories of the events that happened. He wanted his stories to be impactful like The Time Machine and whatnot.

Unfortunately, he was still struggling with the writing process after a couple of years. Even though Shinya was only one of his first few readers, he worried about if his skills were quite enough for the story he wanted to tell. 

Takuya began to pick up the pieces of paper and sticky notes that were filled with his ideas for his stories. Along with some drawings he made, one which was his Spirit Digimon Partner, Agunimon. It had a messy outline, but he was engraved with different pigments of red and golden symbols marked all over the Digimon.

Takuya sighed once more “ I hope the others don’t think it sucks like Shinya does”

Putting all of the items into a folder, he walked over beside his bed, where a wooden desk stood. Takuya’s desk had glass cups of colored pencils, markers and pens on top, next to a red file box that was filled with other paper and sticky notes. 

Knock, Knock

Takuya turned around to see his Dad, Hiroaki Kanbara poking his head out the door. 

“Hey champ, I heard some shouting. Is everything all right?” Mr. Kanbara asked.

Takuya shrugged, “I'm okay, but Shinya was being rude to me again.”

“Y'know it always seems that one moment you two are happily playing soccer together, and the next thing you know, you and your brother are at each other's neck!” Mr. Kanbara laughed.

Takuya gave a crooked smile “Yeah! Shinya acts like he's a ‘Professional Editor’ reading my writing.”

“What did your brother say to you now?” Mr. Kanbara asked as he walked into his son’s room, sitting on Takuya’s desk chair.

“He told me it sucked.” Takuya huffed

“Ah, don't listen to Shinya,’ Mr. Kanbara said, “He is at the age where everything is not good enough for him. Kinda reminds me of you when you were little.”

“I'm worried if he ends up being right though,” Takuya scoffs looking over a poster of Scream hung up on his wall. 

“Don't think too much buddy of it, you’re an amazing writer. I see one day being on a poster like that.” Mr. Kanbara said, looking at the poster too.

“You see me one day becoming Sydney Prescott?” Takuya asked,

Mr Kabara grinned. “No, Bonehead! I see your name under a movie poster.”

Takuya looked towards his dad and swished his hand, “Pfft, you think too highly of me Dad!”

Mr. Kanbara lightly punched Takuya’s Shoulder, “I’m serious! Anyway I came in to tell you we are going out to eat later with your mom and Shinya. It’s your favorite~”

Takuya quickly sat up straight, “Burger King!"

“Oh god no, you know how much your mother hates that place. We are going to ‘Michelin’ You’ll be back from the picnic in time right?”

Takuya shot his head up confused, “What.. picnic?”

Mr. Kanbara raised his eyebrow, “Your picnic? You told your mother and I that you and your friends were getting together today? What are you guys celebrate-”

Takuya slammed his hand on his forehead. “Oh my god! I totally forgot!”

Takuya skidded across to his closet, pulling out pants and shirts of different assortments, dumping them on his bed. He then yanked a small green bookbag from a hook nailed to the wall, and began stuffing it with necessities and papers.

“Sorry Dad, I need to get ready!” Takuya yelled out.

Mr. Kanbara took the message and closed the door on his way out. Takuya couldn't believe his dumbass forgot about today. The whole gang had planned to hangout today in order to celebrate the first day of their summer vacation. They usually did hangout around the park just to chill, but his best friend, Zoe, insisted it be a fancy picnic.

Takuya searched through his clothes, trying to decide what to wear today. Picking up each t-shirt, Takuya puts the shirt over his chest and looks to the mirror to see if it is the one. He groans, takes the shirt off and throws it back in his chair. None of them seem right, but he needed to pick one soon enough. Suddenly, a white shirt with a design caught his attention. Picking it up from a clump of t-shirts, it was a Green Day: Dookie shirt, showing a cartoon-ish picture of a plane flying around an explosion. Surrounding millions of people. Takuya nodded and smiled. This is the shirt for today. 

Lost in thought, he suddenly looks at the clock and sees that it's 12:45. Takuya had to be there at least 1 or so. Takuya quickly grabbed and put on a pair of dark blue loose jeans, his Green Day shirt, and a black sleeveless denim jacket. Grabbing his green book bag, he looked around his messy room to make sure has everything he needed. 

“Ah ha! Can't forget these!” Takuya skips over to his favorite same old square goggles. They still fit perfectly after all these years. Putting them around his neck, he dashes out the door. 

Running to the kitchen, Takuya quickly slides to sit by the edge of the front door. Putting on his red sneaker as fast as he could. 

Yuriko Kanbara walks up to Takuya “Takuya I said no running in the house!” 

“Sorry Ma!” Takuya apologizes as he gets up to open the front door. “I’ll see you later-”

“Takuya!” Ms, Kanbara cut him off, tapping her foot “Aren't you forgetting something?”

Pulling out from her pocket, Ms. Kabara pulls out his black flip phone. Holding in the palm of her hand.

Takuya's eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my god, I can't believe I walked out without this.”

Takuya grabbed it and put it in the back pocket of his jeans. “Thanks Ma, now I-”

Before Takuya could turn to head out the door, Ms. Kanbara puts her hand on shoulder. 

“Aren't you going to kiss your mother goodbye?” She asks.

Takuya almost rolled his eyes. 

Takuya huffed and gave his mom a quick peck on the cheek. “Okay Ma, now I really gotta go.”

“Hey don't forget to give your dad a kiss too!” Mr. Kanbara laughed as he popped out from behind his wife.

Hearing that, Takuya quickly ran off. “Okay, see you kids later!”

Scurrying through the busy streets of Shibuya, Takuya couldn't help but enjoy how bright the sun was today. How the sun gleams against the city's skyscrapers and buildings, making the whole area shine brightly. With the flowers blooming beautifully and everyone in the city was out with their own special events, he had a good feeling that this was the start of an eventful summer. As he reached the street where the cars were stopped at the red light, Takuya began to run as fast as he could to make his way across to the other sidewalk. 

“It’s Takuya!”

Takuya stopped dead in his tracks. Snapping his head around, looking to see who had said his name. But despite everyone walking around the city, none seemed to be the person who called out to him. Or even look towards his way. 

“Huh.” Takuya felt deja vu. As if he heard the voice before.

Deciding to ignore it, Takuya realized he missed his chance to cross the street, as the cars were already speeding away. Takuya waits.

Unaware, Takuya didn't seem to catch sight as two figures from inside the branches of a tree were watching him closely. They were small but focused intently on Takuya.

“You must be more quiet next time!” One of the silhouettes whisper-yelled.

“Sorry.” The other silhouette next to him whispered, “But now I’m happy our search is over!”

“Yes.” The first silhouette agreed, “Now I’m hoping he will help us lead the rest of the Legendary Warriors.”

“Look there he goes!” The second silhouette exclaimed. As Takuya made his way across the street and into the city park.

“Let's go!” The first silhouette shouted. “Who knows what he will do if we don't get to the Warriors fast enough!”

Without another word, the two figures jumped to the tree next to them. Then following the tree after that. They swiftly followed their target from tree to tree, until they made their way inside the lush green trees of Shibuya Park.

Chapter Text

“Come Henry, don’t wanna be late!”

Henry stood at the aisle of the corner store where many birthday cards were lined up along the shelves. Henry had let his hair grow up some more but left near the same exact length. He wore a black button up shirt with sleeves rolled up his elbows, with a green shoulder bag over his shirt. Along with gray fitted jeans being held by a brown belt, he also wore a black pair of doc martens. 

He carefully eyed each card as Takato impatiently waited beside him. Compared to Henry’s sophisticated style in clothing, his close friend Takato chose to wear a simple blue flannel with a white shirt underneath. With faded loose jeans and a pair of somewhat worn out gray sneakers. Takato was holding an envelope with him and glanced at his wrist watch. The time was 3:01 pm.

“Neither do I.” Henry says, not once looking away from the shelves. “But you’re only seventeen once. I want Rika’s gift to be special.”

“Any more special and we won’t make it to her house on time.” Takato says while looking at the cards. “What are you getting her anyway?”

“A card and maybe something cool.” Henry says, grabbing one of the happy birthday cards and reading what is written inside. “She likes animals right?”

“What are you doing, getting her a pet?” Takato asks.

“No…but it’s not a bad idea.”

“I say skip it.” Takato shrugs and notices a girl out of the corner of his eye. 

Recognizing that pink hair in two messy buns anywhere. With numerous small strands sticking out from her hair, Henry's younger sister, Suzie bounces towards them. Suzie wore a green jean jacket over a pink sleeveless shirt. As well as a faded blue denim skirt with dark pink tights underneath and a pair of rose golden sneakers. In her hands, she held a yellow fox plush. 

“Henry!” Suzie calls out, stopping when her older brother turns to her. She holds up the plush with a smile. “Look what I got for Rika!”

“A stuffed toy?” Takato says uneasily, not sure their hot headed friend was interested in stuffed animals. 

“It looks just like Renamon, doesn’t it?” Suzie giggles. She hugs the plush. “Rika’s gonna love it!”

“It’s a nice gift Suzie.” Henry says with a smile, despite sharing Takato’s exact concern. “Help me find something for Rika. With your gift finding skills, we’re sure to find something before the party begins.”

Suzie nods at Henry before looking at Takato. “What did you get for Rika, Takato?”

Takato pridely holds up his envelope. “Got her a special gift. You’ll see!”

Suzie giggles. “Must be one of a kind to fit inside that tiny envelope!”

Takato chuckles, glad of the approval he’d been given from Suzie. Now if only Henry would hurry up and grab his gift, they could rush on out of here and get to that party. 

“Oh Henry, get her a plush!”

“Suzie, I’m not getting Rika a doll.” Henry sighs.

Takato folds his arms, grimacing. Or maybe this might take even longer than he hoped to beg for…

“Tai? Are you okay?”

Tai jolts out of his trance as a hand touches his shoulder. Tai was sitting at his kitchen table, wearing a baggy navy blue t-shirt with brown cargo shirts. He looks over and sees his mom, Ms. Kayima checking in on him. 

“Oh no! Don't tell me I accidentally gave you food poisoning!” Ms. Kaymia cried out.

Tai smiles at her, shaking his head. “Ah mom, you worry too much. I’m okay honestly. Plus your food is fine!”

Tai stares back at his, well what he believed to be breakfast. 

Honestly, Tai has seen better days as he had not been sleeping well lately, He's not exactly sure why. He keeps dreaming of the Digital World, but the dreams are nowhere near pleasant. They are messy to him. The dreams start out as his early memories of his first adventure to the Digital World, then they change drastically. By the time he wakes up, he's forgotten mostly everything that occurred. 

Maybe he’s finally losing it.

“Tai!”

Tai snaps back to reality as Kari calls attention to him. She rolled her eyes at him and smiled. Kari now had her brunette hair at the same length of her neck, adored with pink and a heart shaped hair clip at the forelock of her hair. She wore a cream colored sleeveless blouse with drawstring washed denim shorts. With open toed brown sandals that shimmered with gold detailed within.

Kari laughs, “Jeez it feels you’re slipping away from me Tai! Even when you're sitting right in front of me.” 

 Tai grumps at his little sister. “Ugh, just drop it.”

“Not sleeping well again?”

He shoots his head back at her so fast. Kari knew him way too well. He wouldn't be surprised if her Crest of Light was really the Crest of Psychic.

He sighs once again. “Who says I’m not sleeping well? Did Agumon say something? Y'know better not to ask him.”

Kari nods her head, “I’m not stupid, I know you been on and off sleeping recently. Does it have to do with…”

Tai holds his breath.

“... the incident?”

Tai crosses his arms “I don't want to talk about it, all right?” 

Kari frowned. “I know it's been a few months since it happened. But I assumed by now you would remember what-”

 He cuts her off, “Kari, please not now.” 

Kari sighs and sits down to eat across from her brother. Only to pick at her food. She knew better not to push him further. But ever since that day, it keeps her up at night. 

“I'm not trying to be mean, it's just still shocking to me. It feels like it didn't happen.” Tai confesses.

Kari stands up and grabs her and Tai’s plate, “Alright, I won't bug you about it no more. Today’s a day of celebration.” 

Tai perked his head up. “Celebration? What Celebration?”

Kari nodded her head once more, “Did you forget silly? Today’s the Annual Digimon Festival!”

Tai’s mouth hung wide open, “What is it today? It can't be today!”

Tai grabbed his blue cell phone, flipped it open so fast, and saw the date he didn't believe was right in front of his face. June 1st. 

Ever since the Odaiba incident, where MaloMaltoisym appeared and attempted to fill all of their worlds into darkness. Many Different Digidestined from across their world, came together with Tai's And Davis’s Digdestined to help end MaloMyotismon once and for all. Because of that event, their world and the Digital World were now intertwined with one another. As the Digital World finally had their gates wide open for everyone. Nowadays, many children like Tai himself are out there, and have Digimon of their own. Digimon alike live among them on Earth.

With most of them living right here on Odaiba, as Tai’s partner Agumon now lived them right here at home. Without the danger of any Digital Villain threatening to cause harm, life with Agumon was so peaceful. It seems like the old days when 12 year old Tai was first adventuring alongside Agumon.

Within a year after the event, all the Digidestined decided to host an event, called Digimon Day. Celebrating the day, their little Digital Friends came and befriended them. Throughout the last four years, on June 1st, all Digidestined would come from around their world to join the Festival. Such as Mimi with her fellow American Friends, Micheal, a close friend of Mimi’s and Willis. A boy TK and Kari met on their trip to New York. Along with many of the Digidestined they had met during their International Trip. It is a celebration for Digimon and their partners alike. 

“Now go get changed, Tai!” Kari told her brother as she dumped their dishes in the sink,  “We can't be late to help set up.”

Tai stood up grabbing his and Kari’s glass cups, “I am changed.”

Kari looked back at her brother up and down, when suddenly Gatomon appeared and crawled up on Kari’s shoulder.

Gatomon nodes in disagreement. “Kari, it looks like your brother needs to buy a whole new wardrobe!” 

Kari and Gatomon laugh in sync as Tai grumpily walks over to dump their dishes in the sink. Leaving behind the chatter of her sister and her Digimon, he walks into his room, closing the door behind him. Finding his own partner, Agumon sitting on top of his bed reading through some fashion magazines that Kari borrowed from Yolei.

Tai raised  his eyebrow, “Since when do you read?”

Agumon's huge green eyes perked up at the older boy, “I don't! I just like looking at the pretty dress designs!”

Tai gave his digimon a bright smile as kneeled towards him to pet the top of his head. “Never change Agumon. Now help me pick out a new outfit because Gatomon decided she is a member of the fashion police.

As Tai and Agumon began to pull out clothes of his choosing, Tai couldn't help but think about how today was the day he was finally going to see all of his own friends. It made him feel all enthusiastic inside. As time went on, he saw how each of his friends like Sora, Matt, Joe and Izzy had started exceeding into their future careers and adulthood. Faster than Tai was. He was happy for all of them. But he couldn't help feeling upset that as he reached his final year of high school,  how much of his world was changing all around him. 

Sure he had Kari and the consistent visits from her friend Davis and the rest of her friend group. Of course now that The Digital World was closed and most Digimon lived in this world after the whole Oikawa incident, his friend Agumon was able to live beside him with no complications whatsoever. He should feel satisfied at least. Nevertheless he felt dread of loneliness from time to time. Everybody was moving on, while Tai stayed there. 

But today wasn't going to be like that, He was going to make the most of this festive day as much as he can. He may not be a Digidestined anymore but to Tai, those friends that he traveled to Summer Camp. The ones that had many adventures and shared experiences  in the Digital World, were people that matter the most to him. 

Chapter Text

As all other Shibuya citizens were playing a certain kinda sport or activity, walking around with family or on a special date in the park, Zoe Orimoto was sitting under the  shade of one of the biggest trees in the park. 

Zoe had cut her long blonde hair into a medium length haircut with curtain bangs, with her ears pierced with pink heart shaped earnings. She had grown into teenage hips and curves and definitely meant to show them off. The Italian teenager wore a matching silver heart shaped choker and being held up by two pink straps, was a fitted lavender blouse. Adored with bell shaped sleeves falling off her shoulders.

Zoe sat cross legged with tight skyline jeans with white platform sandals. She was taking out plate by plate, organizing them across an indigo picnic carpet. Which already had strawberry printed glasses, silver utensils, and a cheese and cracker plate. 

As she set all six plates that were decorated with different colored berries imprinted on it, she could help but admire her craftsmanship of what she put together. The rest of the boys in their gang might not really think twice if a picnic is well adjusted. But they all knew too well that perfect and aesthetic picnic is something Zoe takes very seriously.

Finally Zoe placed cloth napkins on each plate that she previously shaped into swans. It was going perfectly.

“Z, look out!”

Zoe shot up to the sound of her name being called, only to see a volleyball flying her way. Zoe squealed but with fast reflexes, she slid to the other side of the picnic. The volleyball hit two glasses and almost all of the napkins over before it rolled into the other side of the grass.

“Z! Are you okay?” JP ran towards his female friend with Tommy following behind him.

JP,  currently with a pair of black glasses,  had lost all of his baby fat but still had a broad chest and shoulders. Somewhat buff in a way. He dressed in a  dark blue varsity jacket with a simple sand colored T-shirt underneath. He wore black fitted jeans with brown combat boots.

The younger boy Tommy had an orange baseball cap backwards, a simple green polo shirt with fitted brown jeans. Along with matching orange sneakers to his hat. 

“I’m alive, but look at the mess you two made!” Zoe huffed.

JP raised his eyebrow, “But only two measly cups and a few napkins knocked over?”

Tommy elbowed his taller friend in the gut, “It's Fancy China JP! Don’t you know expensive this stuff is?” 

JP shrugged in response as he and Tommy bent down to help reorganize the picnic to the replica state it once was in. They knew if they didn't help out Zoe fast enough, she would throw a huge fit. Zoe needed everything to perfect today. Zoe is what JP likes to call, a neat freak. If her room was the teeniest bit disorganized, she would be so quick to reorder every single item in the room. One time, she came over to Takuya’s house and was shocked when she saw how messy and cluttered his bookshelf was. Next thing she knew, She was rearranging every book by size and genre. As well as lecturing Takuya on how to do a better job at categorizing his books and DvD collections, at the same time! She was a master at multitasking.  

“Hey guys! We’re here!” Kouji Minamoto exclaimed as he walked into the picnic. Alongside his twin brother,  Kouichi Kimura.

Kouichi held up two grocery bags in the air, “Along with desserts!”

“Yes, desserts!” JP and Tommy cried in unison as they rushed off to see what their friend had brought. Knocking over some china once again.
“Hey!” Zoe yelled as she watched Tommy and JP running up to the old Warrior of darkness. Kouichi was growing out his short black hair as his hair reached all the way to the bottom of his neck. Letting his hair fall to the sides of his face, Kouichi had on a lime colored sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, as well as skinny light gray jeans with lime matching sneakers. Kouichi had taken a liking to jewelry as he had silver crescent shaped pierced earrings along with similar assortments of gray charms and bracelets on both of his wrists 

Ignoring the three others, Kouji walked with his own grocery bag full of sodas and went towards Zoe’s picnic. “Here I’ll help

Kouji was not the same loner boy she met saving JP and Tommy from a sludge like Digimon. Zoe liked seeing the type of fashion Kouji was growing into. As well as finally losing that Bandanna, Kouji still wore his hair in a low ponytail that was much shorter now. He had silver ear piercing and decorated his blue eyes with smokey eyeliner. Embracing the alternative style of today’s norm, Kouji wore a white tank top adored with different silver necklaces and chains. Along with skinny black jeans attached with another silver chain, plus a matching set of white Vans. 

“Hey, have you heard from Takuya?” Zoe asked as she started placing the swan napkins back on the plates.

Kouji was fixing the glass cups and taking out the drinks he purchased. “ I already left the idiot multiple messages, which he hasn't even bothered to answer.”

“He's probably running late again, like usual,” Zoe responded, “I’m surprised you guys were running a little late. You are always on time.”

“I wanted to be, but Kouichi didn't want to leave the bakery so soon.” Kouji huffed as he side eyed his twin brother, who was too busy showing off the different types of bread he picked out.

Zoe giggled at Kouji’s responses. Compared to when 11 year old Kouji first discovered Kouichi's existence, he was so confused and awkward about how to be a brother to him. Nowadays, the two of them are the closest bond of siblings she's seen. Even though Kouji acted like his twin was a constant annoyance to  him, Kouji truly loved Kouichi deeply. Honestly, they hang out the most aside from their own gang. 

“Aww, you know you love him,” Zoe teased, giving a small punch to the arm.

“Knock it off,” Kouji furrowed his eyebrows. “It's because of his addiction to sweets, I have barely any money left.”

“Yeah, but who decided to pay for most of his groceries?” Zoe smirked

Kouji opened his mouth to talk back, but knew Zoe was right about it. He had no defense. Kouji knew how little his mother makes compared to his father and step-mother. Kouji wouldn't admit it but he likes spoiling his 1 minute older brother.

“Whatever,” Kouji said as set the last drink down, beginning to fold up the grocery bags, “So Kouichi got sweets, I got drinks, and Zoe you brought all of the fancy china, what were JP and Tommy in charge of?”

“Oh!” JP chripped up as he jumped into the conversation of Kouji and Zoe, “You should know this by now Kouji!”

Kouji pinched the bride of his nose, “Please don't tell me it’s another-”

“Magic Show!” JP cried as held up his magician kit out of nowhere, and grabbed a smiling Tommy “And this time, Tommy will be my assistant!”

“Yay!” Kouichi and Zoe cheered as they clapped in unison.

“Come on Kouji, you have to admit, JP definitely improved his skills compared to before!” Kouichi said as he sat next to his brother.

Kouji rolled his eyes, “Stop trying to be nice to him Kouichi,”

“Wait,” Tommy inquired, “Should we start the magic show first or eat?”

“Well until Takuya arrives,” Kouji spoke aggressively, “We will have to wait till he comes with food,” 

“Uh oh!” Zoe squealed as she poked his cheek, “Kouji’s getting grumpy cause he hasn’t had his lunch!”

Kouji flinched at the touch of Zoe’s finger, but her remark caused the others aside from Kouji to snicker. Making Kouji more on edge. Kouichi then knelt next to his brother, holding a his milk tea, he had been drinking,

“Oh here Kouji!” Kouichi giggled as he shook his milk tea in front of his twin’s face. “You want some milk to stop being so cranky?” 

A red and already tempered Kouji shot up so fast and walked away. “I'm going to call Takuya to see where the hell he is!” 

The whole gang burst into laughter as their loner wolf friend walked a few feet away. Before Kouji could even start dialing on his black cell phone, he spots Takuya running up to where he was just a few meters away.

“Hey Kouji!” Takuya exclaimed as he finally caught up, panting hard, “I’m so sorry I came late! I had lost track of time.”

Kouji crossed his arms “Takuya, you need to be more responsible with time management. Zoe had been planning this for a while, and you know better than to be late!”

Takuya gave a crooked smile, “Aw buddy, don't be such a mom. I’m here now!”

Kouji didn't answer as he looked up and down at Takuya. 

Takuya raised an eyebrow, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Where’s the food?” Kouji snapped.

“What food-” Takuya put his hands behind his hand until reality hit him, “Uh so, funny story-”

Even from across the park, everyone around could hear Kouji scream at the teenager he himself called, his best friend. JP shot his head around, checking to see the commotion before giving a simple smirk. He turned back to Zoe, Tommy and Kouichi who were in the middle of talking about a popular show they were watching. Until Kouichi turned his way to JP.

Kouichi saw JP looking over to Takuya. “Did Takuya bring lunch?” 

JP turned back to Kouichi, still frowning “No..”

All four warriors then looked up to see Takuya and Kouji back walking towards them. Before Zoe could answer it, Kouji glared at Takuya. Takuya stared back before quickly lowering his head and grasping his hands in the air.

“Guys, I apologize for not bringing your food. It is irresponsible of me to forget such an important part in today’s event. I’m sorry for ruining the special picnic you want Zoe,"

“Aw, Takuya,” Zoe sighed.

“And?” Kouji asked.

“And, I will try not to do it again. If I do it again, I will buy you guys all dinner on my account.” Takuya continued before he got up, frowning on his face.

Zoe got up, walked over to Takuya and put her hand on his shoulder “Ah Takuya its okay! You didn't ruin my picnic!”

Kouichi nodded his head, “Yeah Kouji! Don’t make him buy us dinner!”

Kouji crossed his arms once again. “What? He didn't even buy us lunch like he promised! I believe its lesson to learn,”

“Okay Mother!” JP Snickered 

As the whole group burst into laughter once more, Kouji yelled out, “For the last time, I am not the mom of the group!” 

Chapter Text

“Happy Birthday!” 

Rika Nonaka stood in the doorway of her house. The red-head still had her hair styled in a ponytail with much longer strands sticking out. Alongside growing her bangs that reached the end of her eyebrows, Rika’s makeup consisted inky-black eyeliner, and light pink blush across her cheeks. Plus simple pink tint tinted chap-stick she wore. 

The newly 17 year old Tamer with star shaped earrings, had on a sleeveless button front corset top plus finger-less biker gloves. With the notched collar wide open, which complimented her black choker and a silver heart-shaped necklace. She wore ripped denim booty shorts with fishnet stockings underneath. Finally with black vans with blue shoelaces instead of white.

Outside of the doorway stood Kenta, Kazu and Jeri, as they were the ones that cheered in celebration. 

Kazu cut many inches off his original spiky hair and styled it with a side bang. He had on a gold necklace with a light yellow tank top, green cargo shorts and brown sandals.

Kenta, who still wore glasses, shaved off the bottom half of his head. Leaving him with an undercut that still resided his green bangs, partnered in the middle. He wore a tan colored cardigan, with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Underneath the cardigan was a cream colored v-neck tee, umber colored skinny jeans, and white sneakers. 

Jeri still left her reddish-brown hair at medium length and flared it into a half ponytail. Dressed in ivory floral, lace blouse with lanterns, thin fabric, sleeves. Along with boot cut, baby blue colored jeans and ivory colored flats. Her ankles were adored with anklet white charms and trinkets. 

Kenta and Jeri threw confetti in the air as Kazu blew on two yellow party whistles. Immediately, Rika slammed the door on them.

“Hey!” Kazu called out as he tried knocking on the door once again, “Don’t lock us out, it's your birthday!” 

“Yeah come on!” Kenta exclaimed after his friend.

Still no response is heard from Rika. Kenta and Kazu looked at each other in thought, trying to see how their red headed friend would open the door for them.

Until Jeri stepped forward, “We have presents!”

Then, the door opened once again, with Rika’s face full of intrigue. 

“Good ones?” Rika asked hesitantly.

Kazu smiled at his friend, “They’re all fashionable clothes you love so much!”

Rika finally let them all in as the three walked in behind her.

Rika huffed, “Well can I keep the presents and still be 16?”

“Oh come on Rika!” Kazu exclaimed as put his hand on her shoulder, “Turning 17 should be amazing. Not disappointing!”

“It did feel amazing in the morning.” Rika sighed as she plopped on the couch, “But then it fucking hit in the face. Next year I’ll be an adult!”

“But becoming an adult shouldn’t be the end of the world. By then you have the ability to do whatever you want!”  Kazu said as she sat down next to Rika.

“Look who’s talking! You're scared about turning 18 next year because your dad said he wanted you out of the house by then.” Kenta snorted.

“That’s a horrible thing for your dad to say.” Jeri commented.

“Ah, enough about me!” Kazu says. “Help me cheer up the birthday girl!”

“Kazu’s right.” Jeri says with a smile. She sits on the couch too. “You should be happy! And look!”

Rika glances at Jeri. She was handing her a gift bag. “Jeri, I’m not supposed to open my presents until after the cake.”

“Says who?” Kenta teases. “Present time is any time.”

“And it might just cheer you up!” Jeri says happily.

Rika takes the gift. “Well…if you insist.”

Rika pulls out the tissue paper and reaches inside the bag. She pulls out a yellow sock fox puppet with blue buttons sewed into the face. It had a white belly and purple gloves on the little hands sticking out of the puppet. Rika stares at the puppet in astonishment. 

“Is this-”

“I hope it’s okay.” Jeri says shyly. She smiles. “I know you’re not a sock puppet fan, but I thought you might like it.”

Kenta looks closely at the puppet. “Is that supposed to be Renamon?”

Jeri nods. Kazu takes the puppet from Rika. “Little ugly looking don’t you think?”

“Hey!” Rika snatches the puppet back. “Hands off the gift!”

“Sheesh, sorry!” Kazu apologizes. 

Rika smiles at Jeri, “Don’t worry Jeri, I love it.”

“Hey not to ruin the moment,” Kazu interrupted, “But me and my boy Kenta skipped lunch, mind telling where the goodies are?”

Rika rolled her eyes and pointed her finger, “Down the hall to the left door.”

“Thanks Rika!” Kenta exclaimed as he ran down the hall with Kazu.

“Hey, no running in the house!” Rika shouted before turning back to Jeri, “Those idiots should know better,”

“It’s Renamon isn't it?”

Rika raised her eyebrow, “Yeah, I know the puppet does look like Renamon-”

“No.” Jeri stated, “You miss Renamon. That’s why you were feeling bummed out right?”

Rika sighed and stared at the sock puppet of Renamon, “Yeah, it's just- I feel like…”

“It’s been too long,” Jeri continued, before waving her hand around, “Sorry, you can continue.”

Rika takes a deep breath. “It’s already been so many years, I know she and the other Digimon had to leave due to the D-Reaper incident. Or else they would have disappeared from our world forever.”

Jeri nodded and wrapped her arms around Rika before she continued,

“When Henry’s dad told us that our pain will soon ease away with time. I believed him, But as much as I try to cope and distract myself, I feel so…so frustrated that I…no… we are growing up without our Digimon. Our Digimon left and then Ryo too..”

Jeri rubbed  her friend’s back. She was right, a lot was changing much sooner than they anticipated. Their friend Ryo, who they befriended back in the Digital World, had left two years prior. His dad was so upset when his son went missing for who knows how long in Digital World. Also when Ryo had run off from his dad’s place to go to his fellow Tamers friends in the battle of the D-Reaper. Ryo’s dad was fed up with all these Digital Crisis and wanted to leave it all behind. So since then, Ryo moved to the United States. He only came to visit a few times before, but Jeri and the others knew his dad attempted to stop him from visiting more often. Due to paranoia that his son could disappear once again. 

Jeri couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for Ryo with his friends living across the ocean. But she understood Ryo’s dad and his reasoning. It reminded her a lot of her own father. After their Digimon left, Jeri felt her relationship with her father had improved. However, she noticed her father was much more overprotective than before. He had a lot of fear pent up in him and he put this fear on his daughter constantly whenever she left the house. Jeri knew her dad meant well, but she had to constantly reminded that what happened four years ago will never happen again. 

Snapping off her own thoughts, Jeri saw a few tears falling from Rika’s face.

“Rika?” Jeri asked quietly.

Rika gave a small laugh as she wiped the tears away, “Oh god, look at me. I’m going to ruin my makeup.”

Before Rika could react, Jeri pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry Rika, I don't know how I can help. But all I can tell you for sure, that no matter how bad things may seem,  it will get better.”

As the two girls separated from the hug, Jeri reached into her purse, searching for some tissues. As Jeri rummaged through her purse, Rika couldn't help but look at the gold necklace Jeri wore. It was a round pendant with a lion’s face on it. This was a necklace Jeri had worn in order to honor her old digimon partner Leomon. Jeri knew better than any of them about losing a partner. 

Finally Jeri pulled out a small pink bag full of tissues. Handing them to Rika.

Rika lightly dabbed her lower eyelid, “As cheesy as it sounds, that helped me Jeri. Thanks.”

Jeri smiled brightly when suddenly Kenta came speeding walking up to the two.

“Rika you have a broom right?” Kenta quickly asked.

“Yes I do, Why?” Rika sniffed.

Kenta put his hands in the air “Don’t be mad but…  Kazu dropped the entire chip bowl.”

“What!” Rika yelled before getting up, “I told you two knuckleheads to be careful!”

Kazu’s face poked up from the door down the hallway, “Kenta! You told Rika on me!”

“You’re so finished when I get over there-” Rika yelled before Jeri put her hand on her shoulder.

Jeri motioned Rika to sit back down, “Rika why don't you chill here while I’ll go help them clean.” 

“Alright then,” Rika sighed before she glared at Kazu, “That floor better be chip free when I get over there!”

Kazu felt drops of sweat fall from his forehead, “Heh, heh. Don't worry your majesty! It will all be spotless soon enough.”

As Jeri skidded over with Kenta with the broom, Rika walked to her room and to her nearest mirror. Checking if her eye makeup was still intact. As she dabbed her eyes once more, she heard a rumble. Looking to the top of her bed, next to her Digivice was a blue Nokia phone, loudly notifying its owner with a new message.

As Rika threw away the tissues in the trash, she walked over, grabbed and attached her digivice to the helm of the jeans and then opened up her phone.

She sat on the bed as she clicked the messages icon. It was a new message via text from Ryo.

“Hey Rika!

I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday! Sorry I couldn't come visit you and the others this time, my crazy Pops wouldn't let me go. But I sent you a nice gift though! It should be coming in the mail soon. I hope you like it.

But if you don't, I’ll treat you to a nice and fancy dinner when I come by again. If that's alright with you LOL. 

See you soon Wildcat!”

Rika couldn't help but smile brightly at the message. As much as she acted like she despised Ryo, she grew really fond of him. 

Hearing the doorbell ring once more, Rika figured that her rest of her friends had come. Now she was much happier, Rika couldn't wait for her birthday party to begin.

On the other side of Shinjuku, in a simple yellow -colored living room, Ai sat on the couch. She let her bangs grow out and her pigtails extended to the middle of her back. The young tamer wore a pink denim-jacket with a rose-colored t-shirt that had Hello Kitty’s face imprinted on it. Ai wore a pair of denim blue shorts woven in the back pockets with rhinestones shaped as a heart.

Currently, a concerned Ai was on the phone with Suzie. Discussing quite an important manner 

“But it’s Rika’s party!” Suzie whines into the phone. “You can’t miss it!”

“I know it is!” Ai says, and spies her younger brother peeking from behind a wall, staring at her. “But me and Mako are gonna be busy today. I’m sorry.”

“Oh!” Suzie groans. “You can’t miss it. You can’t! Everyone will be there and we’re giving her gifts, there will be cake and more gifts and-”

“Suzie, I know how birthdays work.” Ai laughs. She then grimaces. “But really, we have things to do.”

Ai hears Suzie huff. “What could be so important to not make it to a friend’s birthday party?”

“Well…”  Before Ai could answer, she heard the back door open. Her younger brother Mako walked back into the house. Mako had let his brunette hair grow out and grew a few inches taller. Mako dressed in a navy blue denim jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. The tee had Animaniacs, Yakko Warner, bright smiling face stamped on it. Underneath the young tamer wore short cargo pants with matching black sneakers.

Right behind was a familiar someone I knew too well. It wasn’t hard to mistake the large purple imp hiding behind him, peeking out as well and eavesdropping on the conversation. Impmon himself.

Early on, Takato had told the whole Tamers group that he believed her found a portal back to the digital world. Back to their Digital Partners. Ai and Mako were excited to be reunited with Impmon now on correct terms. Unfortunately, when Takato showed his discovery, the same place where he used to hide Guilmon, the portal was nowhere to be found. Takato was so confused when the portal he had seen had suddenly disappeared. All of the tamers were disappointed that Takato had let their hopes up. Ai can vividly remember the anger Rika was in. It didn’t make sense how something like a Digital Portal could just disappear. She knew Takato was telling the truth from what he saw. 

Later on that same day, Ai had returned back to the same park along with Mako. Between the two, Mao had been the most in despair for not seeing Impmon. Ai didnt like seeing her brother in that state, so she offered a game of soccer in order to raise her little brother’s head up. 

In the middle of the game, Ai had kicked the ball so hard that it skidded away into the depths of the park. Ai and Mako both went after the ball, somehow leading back to the same place Guilmon used to stay. As Ai grabbed the ball, a bright flash of light came from the area as miraculously, Impmon, walked out of the shelter.

Mako was in tears as he ran and hugged their old partner. After Ai hugged Impmon, Impmon had told them that he had seen the same portal back to the Human World like Takato said, But for some odd reason, the portal only appeared to Impmon and none of the other digimon like Guilimon and Terriermon. 

Unsure of what to do, Ai had advised the two to keep this a secret. Ai was worried that the older Tamers would be upset if they saw that Ai and Mako were the only Tamers that were freely able to see their Digital Partner. So throughout the last four years, Impmon had consistently visited his partners from time to time. Still, Impmon had no idea why the portal was only open to him. It just didn't seem right. 

“Hello?” Suzie snapped at Ai as she had been distracted by the appearance of Impmon.

“Sorry Suzie! It’s because…” Ai begins to whisper into the phone. “Impmon came today.”

“Huh?” Suzie says and then a second later she’s whispering as well, but it comes out as childish whining. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Eventually, secrets couldn't be hidden forever as Suzie became suspicious of the two siblings' behavior. Two years ago, Suzie had seen Impmon jumping from building to building. She followed him, leading her to the Ai and Mako’s house and she caught them in the act. Ai pleaded with her friend to keep a secret and surprisingly, Suzie had no problem. Sure she had missed her own partner Lopmon, but she understood the reasoning behind the portal. 

“I don’t want Henry hearing you!” Ai persists. “You are shopping with him aren’t you?”

“Ai, I am a great secret keeper!” Suzie shouts into the phone, forcing Ai to move the phone from her ear. “Trust me!”

“I think I’ve gone deaf.” Impmon whispers to Mako, making him giggle.

“Lower your voice!” Ai whispers hastily. “He might hear you!”

“Suzie, who are you talking to?” Ai hears from the phone. It was Henry’s voice.

“Nobody!” Suzie shrieks, voice partially muffled. “Henry give that back, I’m not done talking to Ai!”

Ai sighs. Their bickering was loud and clear. “I’ll call later.”

Ai hangs up and puts the phone back down. Mako and Impmon leave their hiding place and come over to her.

“How’d it go?” Mako asks.

“Kid, you heard them.” Impmon huffs, folding his arms over his chest. “Rabbit boy and the little devil went at it like a couple of dogs barking over territory.”

“I know that!” Mako rolls his eyes and looks at Ai. “I mean, did you tell her we can’t come?”

“Yeah, but she kept persisting to go anyway.” Ai said.

Impmon turns his head at the twins. “You kids gotta quit making such a big deal outta things. It’s just a little party.”

“But it’s Rika’s party!” Ai said, sadly. “Everyone is going!”

“We’re gonna miss all the cake!” Mako grumbles.

“Ha!” Impmon says, turning his head away. “We can have loads of fun. More than them kids! After all, it's not everyday I come and visit. We can have our own blast!”

“Yeah…” Ai and Mako say, dejected.

Impmon glances at them and sighs. It was no fun seeing his partners all sad looking like they were doing to him right now. Impmon snaps his fingers. Both Ai and Mako look up at him, surprised. 

“Tell ya what.” Impmon says, looking at them. “Why don’t you two go off and have fun. I can stay behind and do something by my lonesome for a change.” 

“What?” Ai says shocked.

“Really?” Mako says, just as shocked, but looking excited. 

“Yeah.” Impmon says with a smile. “You have fun while good ol’ Impmon enjoys a little time to himself.”

“But Impmon,” Ai says, frowning. “Are you sure?”

“Positive!” Impmon says, before shooing them. “Now get out of here, live a little, get some fresh air, out of my face!”

Ai and Mako smile. 

“You’re the best Impmon!” Mako says, happy. He rushes over to the digimon and hugs him, much to Impmon’s dislike.

“Gah! Enough of the mushy stuff!” Impmon shrieks. “Put me down, damn it!”

“Sorry.” Mako says, giggling and lets him go. 

“I’ll call Suzie back!” Ai says and goes for the phone.

“Wait for me!” Mako says, following her.

Impmon watches the twins dial back Suzie and he grins to himself. The things he does for those two. 

Chapter Text

In the depths of the dark and gloomy land, covered and hidden by tall and wicked looking trees, stood a wide and lush garden. Within the garden, four silhouette figures surrounded a Pond that illuminated its amethyst waves instead of gray. It had three stone bowls. One at the top of the pond and two that resided left and right, at the bottom. 

The figures could not be seen as it was poorly lit, with only small features of their face could be seen coming from the light of the pond. 

“It is almost time,” One silhouette shaped like a crooked monster, said in frustration  “What is taking him so long?” 

“Patience,” The configuration that seemed to appear a floating woman with wings, softly replied, “He’s possibly gathering all the materials needed for this moment. We must not rush.”

“I understand we must not rush the superior,” Another figure added on, this one shaped as if he was wearing a long cloak with a pointed hat, “But if he takes any longer, we may not complete the ritual correctly in time.”

A grunted sigh came from the last silhouette. Its form which looked like it was slouched over, with horns and goat feet.  “If he ponders over his materials or potions any longer, I swear I will tear N-”

“Hush now!” The winged woman figure ordered the goat-like structure, “He is here.”

All four members could signify the sound of the Superior’s boots as they stamped and shackled the grass beneath its feet. From afar they could all see the structure of a tall man with long hair, slowly walking towards the pond. 

Behind him were two other figures, known to be his closest suitors. The smallest one was shaped like a demon, and the other, more taller, seemed to appear a being with many cloths wrapped around its body. They were all silent till the crooked monster spoke.

“You! How could it take you so long at an important time like this?” The crooked monster yelled at the man. 

“Silence you tongue-tied fish!” The winged woman exclaimed back at the crooked monster, “You shall not speak to the Superior that way!”

“It’s alright M’lady,” The man comforted, “The Sailor is correct, I did take too long. I apologize.”

The cloaked figure appeared behind the man. “Shall we begin now?” 

The man nodded its head. “Yes we shall.”

The four figures made room for the man to enter the circle. As the man stood in front of the single stone bowl at the top of the pond.

The suitor wrapped in cloth, walked up to the bowl on the left side of the pond and knelled. They opened a charm box that held a yellow piece of fur inside. The suitor grabbed the fur and placed it inside the stone bowl

The small demon suitor opened a different colored charm box, holding a piece of white fur and put it inside another stone bowl.

Lastly, the man himself pulled his own item out of his coat pocket. A heart shaped locket that was the same size of his palm. He slid open the cover of the lock, knelled and placed in the last bowl a gold thin necklace with the Cross of Jesus on it, Following the next item, the man pulled out with the tip of his fingers, a single strand of wavy ebony hair. He held the strand close to his face, almost mesmerized by it. 

“Is that your own hair?” The cloaked figure asked in confusion.

“No,” The man answered back with delight in his voice, “It’s her’s.”

As the man threw in the strand of hair, the pond seemed to illuminate its waves much more brightly.  Before the man could give out his future orders, his fellow companions all pulled out crystal shaped orbs that glowed in bright lavender. The four had placed their orbs all around the pond as the two suitors took a step back into the dusk. 

“Excellent, now let us all come together.” The man ordered with light in his voice.

All four figures along with the man came closer, holding each of their hands in the form of a circle. Before the man spoke once again.

“D Reaper,” 

The third bowl grew in green radiance.

“Lucemon,”

Then the second bowl as well

“MaloMyotismon!” 

All three stone bowls were now gleaming a dark green in sync, before the Man could continue.

“I call upon your three immoral ones that were slain and scarred in battle, due to the light of children. Those that are called the Digidestined. Who triumphed for so long after your defeats.”

The man raised his and the companions’ hands in the air before he spoke once more,

“Reverse and shift your vexation and lend us your strength. Give us the single fragments of your gracious power. So they may fall on their precious home they call Earth. To whisk away the Chosen Children here.”

Suddenly all four lavender orbs started to fly up. Dancing around each other as the pond began to illuminate bright and brighter. The other four figures aside from the man watched in amazement as the new found sorcery began to strengthen its powers right in front of them.

The orbs stopped twirling around, forming a circular format. All at once, the amethyst waters shifted into vibrant green mixed with violet. The waves sprouted and accelerated through the hollow gray clouds high up above them. 

What was before pitch black now showed the pigments faces of all four figures. Particularly the man had his emerald green eyes, wide in satisfaction.

“Bring them to me, bring them to their destiny!”

“Pick a card! Any Card!” 

Kouichi watched as JP held multiple playing cards in front of the face of his brother Kouji, who was already annoyed with JP and Tommy’s magic show which had barely started. 

Kouji picked out a card and then turned to look back at it, “Now what?”

“Now, place your card back with the rest of the cards and watch!” JP exclaimed. 

JP began to shuffle through the cards with multiple different methods as Zoe, Tommy and Takuya watched in amazement. Particularly Takuya who looked like a little kid with crumbs of bread falling out of his mouth. Because Takuya didn't bring his lunch as promised, Tommy had packed extra sandwiches and shared them with the whole gang. Much to Kouji still resentment towards Takuya.

Finally, JP stopped shuffling and pulled out a card, “Is this your card?”

Kouji glanced at the card, believing it wouldn’t be his card, but to his surprise, “It is?”

All cheers and claps came from the whole gang as JP bowed left and right. 

“You surprised me today JP,” Kouji said with a smile.

“Well then get ready for my next trick!” JP said as he began to search through his magic kit.

“You got any tricks to cut us in half?” Takuya asked with a bright smile. 

“I wish!” JP replied, “It’ll take me a while to learn that kind of trick!”

“Oh you know what trick always amazes me?” Zoe perked, “The one where they tied you up, put in a tank full of water and you somehow escape!”

Takuya's eyes lit up like a kid, “Oh man! I love to try that!”

“Takuya, you would immediately die trying to escape,” Kouji laughed.

“Now now, I have my ways,” Takuya promised.

As Takuya and Kouji went back and forth about the realism of the trick, Kouichi pondered for a moment the word “escape”. It reminded him of something particularly.

Until it clicked, “Guys, I just remember I had a crazy dream.”
“Ooh! Another dream!” JP cheered as he stopped searching the kit and gave his full attention to Kouichi.

Kouichi was the one to experience a special kinds of dreams. Most of the craziest things occurred in them. They were pretty creative and thought out of Kouichi's consciousness.  One time, Kouichi dreamed that Takuya was the superhero of Japan. With his sidekick, for some reason, was Kouichi’s pet cat, Phoebe. He remembers Takuya and Phoebe saving people in cities multiple times in his dream. But the strangest part was that Takuya had another “secret identity”. Anytime he came in contact with water, he would become a merman. 

The others found the dream hilarious and Takuya thought it was actually a good idea for a book series. Kouichi wasn't sure if Takuya ever finished the idea as he starts up many projects all of the time. Either way, all of the gang grew fond of his dramatic stories of his dreams.

“I think we were all trapped in this castle and we were wearing all this kind of medieval armor and whatnot. I think we were these warriors. The guards were these ogre looking creatures and were deciding which one of us to eat.” Kouichi explained

“Please don’t tell me they ate me!” JP cried, as he was commonly disappeared or killed in Kouichi dreams. In a comedic way.

“They never got to, don't worry,” Kouichi reassured. “Because suddenly, the ogres went away and we were saved by these two people. I don't remember who they were but we were mad that they rescued us? I wasn't sure why we were upset. Either way, we escaped thanks to their help. Then we flew away with dragons.”

“Aw, that sounds so cool!” Tommy said with eyes filled with amazement.

“Y’know,” Takuya crossed his legs, “I read somewhere that certain dreams could tell you about future events. Maybe Kouichi had a special kind of gift to see the future,”

Kouji rolled his eyes. “Are you telling us that we will fly with dragons one day?”

“I said certain dreams.” Takuya scoffed. "These things could happen or be some kind of metaphor in our lives." 

"Wait! Kouichi dreamed once that I married Avril Lavigne. That means it could be possible! " JP said with delight.

"Hate to break to you man," Kouji acknowledged, "But Avril Lavinge is married."

"What!" JP weeps. "To who?"

Kouji shrugged, "I don't know, some guy." 

JP grabbed Kouji's shoulders and began to frantically shake him. "You don't know the guy? But you somehow know she's married! Answer me Minamoto!"

"I read it somewhere online!" 

"Where!"

"I don't remember!"

"What do you mean you don't remember?"

Zoe turned away from JP's delirious antics, "Aside from married celebrities, are there any other dreams you had recently? Maybe some that feel kinda futuristic?"

Kouichi thought for a movement before answering "Well actually after the dragons, I was dreaming about this white little animal running. At first he looked like a bunny, but now I think about it. He looked like a Digimon.

"A Digimon?" Kouji and JP asked as they stopped arguing for a moment.

"Wait you said a 'white' Digimon. Was it perhaps Bokomon?" Tommy wondered.

Kouichi shook his head, "No, it looked nothing like Bokomon. He had some purple fur tips on his ear and the biggest green eyes. He was a cute little Digimon, but he was scared."

"Scared of what?" Takuya asked.

Kouichi's voice went low. "He was running away from something- no, someone. I couldn't make out the Digimon but it was slightly a few inches taller than him. It looked like a tiny little demon. And, this is going to sound weird but, at that moment, I could feel that the little guy was taken away from his home, He was put in a place where he had no one to turn to. He was truly all alone."

All six of the old Legendary Warriors were silent by the way Kouichi described the dream. As if it was some sort of prophecy. Kouichi noticed the way his friends immediately were eerily quiet, and frantically waved his hands.

“Guys again, It was just a dream!” 

"I know but poor Digimon!" Zoe sighed.

“Zoe, there is no digimon.” Kouji grunted. “None of them are in danger.”

“Hey! Don’t shut down your psychic brother!” Takuya yelled out.

“Yeah!” JP agreed before grabbing Kouichi’s hands, “Hey, do you think you would like to join the magic business with me and Tommy?” 

Kouji hid his face between hands, “Oh my god…”

Kouichi slowly put down JP’s hands, “Thanks for the offer JP, but there’s no concrete proof that I am somehow physic. ”

“Exactly,” Kouji says, lowering his hands. “So let’s put this argument to rest-”

“No way!” JP exclaims. “We gotta test it! Kouichi, predict something!”

“What, now?” Kouichi says, surprised. “I’m not even asleep.”

“Doesn’t matter! Just say something! Anything! You’re psychic! Just trust your gut instincts or something!” JP encourages. 

“Oh, this is just ridiculous!” Kouji argues. 

“I don’t know,” Takuya says, laying back. “I think you’re just worried it might not be in your favor.”

“Bullshit!” Kouji yells.

Kouichi crosses his arms. “Okay, let’s just test it.”

“Alright!” JP and Tommy exclaim, happily.

“Well I believe…” Kouichi looks forward and spots something up ahead. His eyes widen as he sees a familiar Digimon peeking out from the bushes. “...Neemon is hiding in the bushes?”

“Alright! See I told-” JP cried in joy before realizing what Kouichi had said. “Wait what?”

All of them turned to look around as their old bunny looking digital friend, Neemon, had appeared stashed inside the bushes. His ears perked up as soon as he made eye contact with Kouichi. 

Neemon jumps out from the bush, “Long time no see guys!”

The whole gang quickly got up from the picnic to see if what Kouichi had said was true. Kouichi couldn't believe his eyes, was it really Neemon? It’s not possible, there should be no way Neemon had the ability to come to their world. Kouji had told him that during their last battle with Lucemon, he had destroyed the Train station where the Trailmon traveled from the Digital World. Kouichi needed answers. He began to run towards Neemon.

“Kouichi! Wait!” He heard Kouji call out after him. 

Once Kouichi had finally caught up to Neemon, the Digimon suddenly ran out and away from Kouichi. Kouichi stopped dead in his tracks, confused. Watching as the little Digimon scurry away, trying to not get hit by the cars. The cars themselves came to a stop as they were startled by the strange animal that was running across in the middle of the road. 

Kouichi heard the rush of footsteps as the other caught up to him. 

Zoe grabbed Kouichi’s shoulder, “What the hell Kouichi!” 

“I still can’t believe you’re actually psychic!” Takuya said out of breath.

“Enough!” Kouji shouted. “Kouichi, where did Neemon go?” 

Kouichi didn’t answer his brother’s question as he was trying to see where Neemon was heading off to. He watched as multiple people screamed in terror as Neemon dodged around them. Neemon turned the street and from above where he was heading off to, there were the train tracks. That’s where he was going.

“Kouichi?” Kouji asked once more,

“Something’s wrong, come on!” Kouichi said as he ran down the street while the cars were sitting still and startled. 

“Wait! But what about the picnic?” Zoe cried out as the Kouji, JP and Tommy followed behind Kouichi.

“Zoe, we'll come back for it later!” Takuya promised as he grabbed Zoe’s hand, dragging her along. “Let’s go!”  

Kouichi swiftly ran around multiple crowds of people as he followed the sight of Neemon as much as he was able to. Neemon was running away from Kouichi as if his little life depended on it. Kouichi noticed that the farther he went after Neemon, the less people were around. The busy streets, the shining sun and the sounds of loud chatter were no more as he went on. Kouichi watched Neemon ducked under yellow tape that said Don’t Cross and enter the Shibuya station that was under construction. With no construction workers around, the train station had multiple piles of gray rocks and soil all over the place. Visible cracks were all over the walls, seeming as if they were ready to fall and crush whoever was an idiot enough to walk underneath. Despite the hazardous surroundings, Neemon had made no hesitation to halt as climbed over the ticket barriers and headed straight for crumbling stairs. 

Out of breath, Kouichi still proceeded to lift and go under the yellow tape.

“Kouichi! Hold on!” 

Kouichi turned around to see Takuya who was running up beside him. 

Takuya bent over, putting his hands over his knees and gave a shaky laugh. “You know, you are a fast runner despite not being in sports.”

Kouichi smiled but didn’t hold for long as he watched the rest of their friends and an angry Kouji come up next to Takuya. 

“Kouichi! Are you crazy?” Kouji shrieked, “You can’t go inside this train station! It’s way too dangerous!”
“We have too!” Kouichi snapped back as he stood from the other side of the yellow tape. “We have to find out what’s going on with Neemon!”

“Who cares about Neemon!” Kouji shouted back.

“Whoa! Whoa!” JP interrupted the two. “Kouji, calm yourself. That’s Neemon you’re talking about! He’s our friend!”

“I know that but what if this is some sort of trick?” Kouji explained to the rest of his friends. “Think about it. We haven’t seen Neemon or Bokomon in almost four years. And all of sudden, he just shows up today, unexpectedly and leads us to this place! Something’s not adding up.” 

“You have a point, it doesn't make sense, '' Zoe agreed, “But Neemon’s not like that to trick us.”

“Yeah, that little guy wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed back then,” Takuya answered.

JP snickered, “You’re the one to talk Takuya.”

Tommy giggled alongside JP, “Yeah, remember his idea of “maybe we can move the moon!”

“Hey! I was only 11 alright!” Takuya shouted back embarrassed before turning to Kouji, “Either way, I think we should listen to Kouichi.”

Before Kouji could even respond, Neemon had returned down the stairs, shouting “Hey!” 

“Neemon!” Takuya turned his attention to him. “How are you here? What’s going on?”

“I will explain soon!” Neemon cried out before putting his hand under his chin, “Well better yet, maybe Bokomon should. He's better at explaining than me…”

“Focus Neemon!” Kouichi yelled out. “Why are you here?” 

Neemon waved his little hands in the air, “Sorry but there’s no time! Come on, me and Bokomon need your help!” 

Without another word, Neemon once again took off up the stairs. Kouichi and the others all had the same idea in mind and followed their friend. Kouji stood behind for a moment, grunted and went after the rest as well. 

As they went up the stairs, the whole gang saw the transition from gloomy surroundings with falling apart concrete, to clean and cream colored walls, enriched with blue streaks all across the room. The train’s stations' silver ticker machines and booths were full of shine and yet to be untouched by future customers. 

Neemon, still ahead, managed to press the button up for the elevator as it slid open fast. Neemon waved at his human friends. 

“Hurry! Hurry!” Neemon called to the gang’s attention to reach the elevator as fast as they could.

All 6 teenagers sped up their speed towards the elevator’s entrance. Ending up slamming and crashing all over each other once they reached inside the elevator. As they proceed to try to get off one another, Neemon swiftly jumps in with the rest of them as the door shuts.  

“Yay we all made it!” Neemon cheered.

“Why do I always land on my head in these situations…” Takuya grunted as he slowly sat up, “Alright Neemon, you got some explaining to do.”

The others all circle around Neemon as he begins to dust himself off. “Well! It all started when… when…”

Neemon couldn't even finish what he was about to say as he fainted. The others cried out Neemon’s name as Zoe quickly grabbed their fallen friend and held him in her arms.

“Neemon! Are you ok?” Zoe asked.

Neemon yawed like a baby. “Tired… ran too much…”

Without another word, Neemon began snoring softly in Zoe’s arms.

Zoe gave a soft smile, petting his yellow ears. “Aww poor Neemon,”

Takuya turned his head and whispered to JP and Tommy beside him, “Is Zoey rocking Neemon?”

Tommy sighs, “I’m too tired to even question anything,”

JP nodded his head, “And yet we still don't know why Neemon dragged us all the way down here.”

Kouji turned to face the elevator’s window as it was speeding downwards, “I think I have an idea.” 

As soon as the elevator reached the bottom and opened its door, the gang were right back at the same place that took them to the Digital World, all those years ago. With its blue stainless tiles and rainbow tinted ceiling, the Trailmon Station was somehow in perfect condition.

“No way…” Takuya said in awe as the rest of friends walked out of the elevator.

“This is crazy!” JP exclaimed as he spun around the whole room, “How is this possible? This place should be shambles!”

“I think once we had saved the Digital World and returned its data,” Kouji answered, “I think it also ended up repairing the station.”

“Wow, I can’t believe we were able to save this place,” Tommy said as he stared at the view of the ceiling, “Wait a sec- does that mean we had the ability to go back to the Digital World anytime we wanted?”

“Yeah! Shouldn't Ophanimon or Seraphimon have told us this kind of information?” Takuya cried out.

“Well it’s not like they could call us on our cell phone anytime they wanted.” JP commented before looking around, “Hold on now, where are all of the Trailmon?”

Takuya looked around the area. “Oh god you’re right.”

“Alright, time to get our questions answered,” Kouji said as he walked over to Zoey. Still rocking Neemon back and forth,

Before Kouji could even try to shake Neemon awake, Zoe flinched away from Kouji. She whisper-yelled, “Don't you dare Kouji! He’s very exhausted! ”

Kouji grunted. “Zoe, stop treating him like an infant.” 

“Shh! Be quiet, you’ll startle him!” Zoe snapped back.

Finally Neemon shifted in the Italian’s arms, stretching his arms and legs. He sighed happily, “Oh are we here yet?”

Before anyone could respond, Neemon's ears perked up, “Oh we are!”

Fully awake, Neemon jumped out of Zoe’s arms, “Follow me!”

Without another word, the gang followed Neemon once more as they made their way behind the doors of the elevator. They gasped as they saw Neemon’s companion, Bokomon, passed out as he was crushed under large matters of black concrete. 

“Bokomon!” They all shrieked as they all kneeled towards their injured friend. 

Bokomon, still unconscious, Neemon skipped over to him. Gently shaking his friend awake. “Bokomon! Bokomon! I did what you said! Our friends are here!”

Bokomon slowly opened his eyes to the group, “What…”

“It’s been a while Bokomon,” Takuya said as all the rest of friends smiled down their Digital friend  

“Oh kids! How I have missed you!” Bokomon wailed as tears started forming, “Thank Goodness you’ve arrived!”

“We’ve missed you too Neemon,” Takuya answered back. “Now let's help you out of this mess.”

Takuya bent down and tried to lift up the huge piece of concrete as much as he could. But to his unfortunate luck, Takuya couldn’t move it an inch. “Guys, a little help?

With the help of Kouji, JP, Tommy, and Kouichi, all four boys were able to lift up the piece of concrete crushed on Bokomon’s legs. As the stone was removed, Zoe and Neemon pulled their little Digital Friend out of the situation.

“Ah I feel so much better!” Bokomon sighed in relief, sitting now on the blue tile floor. “Neemon, I never should’ve doubted you.”

“Yeah, sorry I doubted you too little guy,” Kouji apologized as he kneeled down and patted his ears.

Neemon giggled. “Aww! Wouldn’t be the first time!”

Bokomon was still in tears, “My, look how all of you have grown! Takuya, your hair!”

Takuya gave a crooked smile, “Oh you like how I grew it?”

“Yes but have you ever heard of using a comb?” Bokomon answered with his eyebrows furrowed.

All of the teeangers bursted into laughter in response to Bokomon remarks. Along with red faced Takuya, who was trying to defend his current style. Kouichi couldn't help but give a bubbly laugh to the delighted situation. He felt content to see all of his friends engaged in conversations with their old Digital friends. Kouichi felt as if he was 11 years old again, and they were in the middle of traveling the Digital World. It was gratifying. 

Before Kouichi could join in, a cold sensation went up his spine. He shivered. All of a sudden, Kouichi felt cold. 

He shivered once more, when did it suddenly become freezing here? Kouichi turned around, feeling the chilly air coming from the direction of one the empty train entrance.

Kouichi looked back to his friends, who were busy laughing and catching up with Bokomon and Neemon. Seeming unaware of what Kouichi was feeling at the moment. Kouichi walked away from his friends, to try to figure out this odd perception he felt.  

Walking towards the train entrance, Kouichi jumped down to the train tracks. As he stepped on the stone covered floor, and entered the dark abyss, he saw something perciular up ahead. He squinted his eyes to see but he was still too far away. Without hesitation, Kouichi continued forward.

The closer Kouichi walked, the more he could make out the figure as a young girl. From the back of her, she had long ebony hair that reached the tip of the floor, and was wearing some sort of light blue sweater. She was making small noises. As Kouichi was a few steps away from her, he realized she was crying. He could hear her struggling to hold back her tears. 

Kouichi went on one knee, “Hey, are you… are you alright?”

Instead of answering, the girl said, “I can’t believe it…”

Kouichi eyebrows furrowed, “I’m sorry?”

“I can’t understand why he would do such a thing.” She continued. “He was our friend, and now he’s different…”

“I’m sorry Miss, I’m really confused on what you’re talking about? Do you need help?” Kouichi hesitantly asked.

She sniffled “He’s not the same anymore…It’s all our fault. It’s my fault.”

“Hey don’t go blaming yourself..” Kouichi reached over, putting his hand on her left shoulder. 

The moment Kouichi laid his hand on her, the touch of her skin was ice cold. Then the girl suddenly stopped crying, and became dead silent.

Kouichi stifled from the icy touch and removed his hand, “Sorry I didn’t mean to-”

As Kouichi pulled his hand to a close, he felt something. Something off putting. He opened his hands in front of face, seeing a scarlet colored substance. Sliding down the palm of his hand.

Blood.

Quivering, Kouichi dared to look back at the girl. Now standing in front of him, with her back still turned around. Kouichi was trying to find the words to say as the girl gave a heavy sigh.

“He’s coming for you, and this time… I can’t try to stop him,”

She slowly turned around, relieving to be a pale face girl with droopy eyelids. Having her eye sockets to be completely empty. The insides of her sockets are filled with fresh blood, streaming down her face. She formed a wide smile, as dried up blood was smeared all across her mouth and teeth. 

“All I can say is, you heroes better not lose.”

Kouichi let out a piercing scream as amethyst colored waters came rushing out behind the bloody girl. Before Kouichi could call out to his friends, the waves overcame him. They drag him down and under the waters, cutting off his screams into gurgles. Kouichi chokes and tries to swim against the current, but finds himself in the depths of these new waters with no escape. 

Chapter Text

“ But Jose Miguel, we were meant to be!

The TV before Impmon displayed a telenovela at the moment. He watched in boredom as the beautiful actress swoons within the arms of some actor undergoing the name of Jose Miguel. Impmon rolls his eyes.

“Next!” Impmon points the remote at the tv and flips to the next channel.

“ That’s 30% off! This weekend only! ”

“Cheapskates.” Impmon mutters and tosses the remote all together. Without Ai and Mako in the house, he was left to succumb to his boredom. He sighs.

This might’ve been one of the few times he was left alone in the house. Ai and Mako always did such a good job of hanging out with him and making sure he never was left by his lonesome. But now that they both left to be at Rika’s party, it was hitting him how much he missed hanging out with them. Not to mention how idiotic the tv programs were this time of day. 

Impmon jumps off the couch and grabs his bowl of pretzels, walking up to the tv. He stops before it, watching a chef cut open a lobster. “Stupid TV, ain’t got nothing good on it.”

Impmon’s eyes scanned all around the living room. It was so silent. So empty. 

Impmon crunches on a few pretzels he shoves into his mouth. He swallows. “Can’t stand this place being all quiet…”

He shoves his hand back inside the bowl and finds it empty. Still feeling hungry, he walks over to the kitchen. Grabbing a stool, he scooches it towards the cabinets and climbs on up.

“And I’m out of snacks!” Impmon rages to the open cabinet, deprived of his favorite chips and snacks. He leans against the cabinet. “Sheesh, it’s all just going downhill from here.”

Mako usually took care of the food in this house. Getting sufficient food for their friend was always top priority. Not like Impmon couldn’t sneak off to get it himself, but their insistence to pamper him was never ending. Even if it meant using allowance money for a few snacks that Impmon wanted. 

Impmon scowls and slams the cabinet door closed. “Gah!”

As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to rethink the whole letting his partners go off to the party. Sure, they deserved it, but nothing was fun without them. Impmon jumps off the stool and returns to the living room, irritated. 

“Whining ain’t gonna get yourself anywhere.” Impmon mutters to himself. “You decided to be the big mon, and now you are.”

Impmon dared to glare at the tv. “Even if it means suffering through endless torment hell!”

Suddenly, Impmon straightens up. An idea had struck him. An idea of gold! He doesn’t have to stay here. He could just go off and be somewhere else for a change! Explore the sights! Be his own mon! Something better than just letting the day drag on like an old potato sack. 

“Just for a few minutes.” Impmon tells himself, walking over to the backyard sliding doors. “I’ll be back before they know it.”

The outside air rushes by and Impmon shivers. He looks to the sky and notices the gray clouds hovering above him. Weird, he could have sworn it was sunny out not too long ago when the kids left. He shrugs and walks out, closing the sliding door behind him. He dashes across the yard and jumps a top of the fence, climbing over it and falling onto the other side. 

“Smile!” 

Takato’s jaw was in pain as he smiled for what seemed like the 50th picture, Rika’s mom, Ruimko Nonaka, took of her daughter and her friends. Takato and the rest of the Tamers were all huddled together for the pictures. 

Takato knew it would be rude to ask for the photoshoot to end, but he knew that Rumiko was just expressing her excitement for today. Snapshotting the event of her daughter’s 18th birthday as much as she can. Takato knew when he couldn't refuse, but Rika understood when to call quits.

“Mom, I think you have enough pictures!” Rika sighed, “You’re going to make my friends blind.”

“Alright honey!” Rumiko exclaimed, “Let me just ask one more of you and in front of your cake.”

Before Rika could respond, her and her friends' eyes all turn to see Rika’s grandmother, holding the beautifully cream-colored cake. As she sat it down on the picnic table, with the rest of the dood, it had blue icing frills with red roses in all four corners of the cake. In cursive and blue icing, read Happy Birthday Rika, with 18 blue candles on top.

“Finally the moment I’ve been waiting for!” Kazu cried, as he tried sticking his finger into the icing before being slapped in the hand by Rika’s grandmother. 

Rumiko didn’t even have to ask her daughter to smile again for a picture as Rika’s face was already in beam as she stared down at her cake. Takato couldn't help but smile at the redhead, as well.

As Ruimko took the last photo, her grandmother came over with a lighter in hand and started lighting the candles. Takakto watched as Suzie, Ai, and Mako came alongside Rika, to get a closer look at her cake. 

 Rika herself put her arms around the three, “There are too many candles, you three want to help me blow them out?” 

Mako nodded his head and Suzie and Ai’s eyes grew wide. “Yes please!”

Takato loved how Rika had such a soft spot for the younger kids in their group. 

As all the candles were lit, Takakto and the others gathered around, to sing Happy Birthday. Takakto couldn't believe that they had finally reached this moment in their lives. It only seems like four years ago, Rika despised him and tried to fight her Digimon Renamon, with his Digimon partner Guilmon. Now the two of them were the best of friends.

Once all was sung, and all the candles were blown out. Rumiko handed Henry the knife for the cake. “Okay kids, you guys go ahead and start eating,  your grandmother and I will be right back Rika.”

Before Rika could stuff a piece of cake in her mouth, “Where are you two heading off to?”

Ruiimko gave a devilish smile, “We got one more surprise for you! Now stay here!”

As Rumiko and her mother headed back inside the house, Takato went over to grab a piece of cake and sat next to Rika. “You’re enjoying yourself Rika?”

“You can say that.” Rika answered as she continued to eat her slice of cake, “Everything has gone smoothly so far,”

“So, now I can give you your gift!” Takato says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a letter. “Here you go!”

Rika stares at the enclosed envelope. “...that’s it?”

“What do you mean that’s it?” Takato says, sounding partially offended. “It’s your gift! Open it!”

“Okay…” Rika grabs the letter and opens it up. Within was a card with a drawing on the front of Rika and Renamon together and the words Happy Birthday written on the top. 

Takato rubs the back of his neck, smiling. “So what do you think?”

“...you got me a drawing.” Rika says bluntly. “A very bad drawing.”

“What?” Takato exclaims. “It’s not that bad!”

“Actually, you’re right. It could be worse. I could be just a stick figure.” Rika sighs and stares at the drawing once more. She then looks irritated. “Hey! This is supposed to be me? It looks nothing like me!”

“Of course it does!” Takato argues back. 

“Then why does it have an angry face on it?” Rika rants.

“Sounds pretty realistic to me!” Kazu says from afar.

“Shut it, Kazu!” Rika yells. 

The commotion of Takato’s gift had reached the others as all of the Tamers came over to see if the drawing Takato had given was as bad as Rika says. 

Kazu snatched the drawing from Rika’s hands, “Takato knows how to draw a Digimon pretty well, but you gotta work on drawing people buddy.”

Before Takato could even defend himself, Kenta grabbed the drawing from Kazu’s hands, “You guys are being too harsh, it’s not that all bad. It does resemble Rika quite well.”

Ai went on her toes and grabbed the drawing next, “Yeah, I like it! I think it’s a personal gift. It shows Takato cares!”

Suzie then took from her friend, “It also shows Takato is a cheapo~”

Mako grabbed the drawing next, “Yeah! He obviously must have been broke and resorted to drawing as the last option!”

Henry then snatched in from the younger boy and gave a glare to Suzie, “Stop it you two!” 

Finally Jeri took the drawing from Henry, “You guys! If you keep throwing the drawing like that, it’s going to wrinkle!”

As the Tamers argued over the drawing, from afar Impmon watched over the display. Sitting in between the branches of a huge tree. His walk in the town had turned over to walking by the infamous party. Not that he didn’t trust his Tamers to be away without him, he just was curious about what was going on and decided to visit. Besides-

“I really, really want some of that cake.” Impmon mutters to himself as he leans against the tree and stares down at the cake on the table. The group was distracted, but not too distracted. Maybe he could find a way to get Ai and Mako’s attention to snag him a slice. 

Crack!

“Huh?” Impmon snaps his head around. He steadily scans the branches he’s in and then comes to notice a huge shadow. Lurking within the tree. He glares. “Who’s there?”

Instead of a response, Impmon hears a low growling noise. The little Imp could feel his pointy ears perk up with his fur standing on end. He knew exactly what was hiding in front of him.

A Digimon!

“Tundra blast!”

Before he could even process what the Digimon is, Impmon got punched directly in the face. He falls back against some of the tree’s branches, feeling dazed and confused, Impmon was not even given a moment to regain his strength as another attack strikes him down from his hiding place. As he plummets down with a scream, he lands over the brick fence and directly into Rika’s birthday cake.

With a horrendous splat, the group snaps their attention over to the table. As a frazzled Impmon was sitting up in the cake. 

Takato felt his jaw drop wide open. “Impmon?”

Impmon wipes the cake off him. “Now this is not the slice of cake I wanted!”

“Impmon! What are you doing here?” 

Impmon looked over to see who had spoken as he came face to face with Suzie. He suddenly realizes Henry’s little sister was putting on a strange act. As for his Tamers, Ai And Mako were dead frozen. Mako’s eyes were wide in shock, while Ai was struggling to figure out the right words. It hit Impmon then. 

They’ve been caught.

Impmon stands right up, hands behind his back. “O-oh, sup fellas?”

Before Ai and Mako could play along with their Digimon, a shout came from the tree.

“Tundra glaze!”

Impmon screams once again as sub-zero frost blows right into him and freezes him like a popsicle. With only his head free from the icy capture. All of the Tamers gasp in alarm as Ai and Mako run towards their Digimon friend.

“Impmon!” They scream.

“Wait!” Henry yells, holding them back as Suzie tries to do the same. He then points towards the tree Impmon fell out of. “Look!”

With all the strength he could muster, Impmon turned around only to a huge Violet colored mist surrounding the tree. The Tamers began to cry in agony. 

“It’s a Digital field!” Henry cries out.

“Why is it all purple?” Rika exclaims in shock.

“Who cares?” Kazu yells. “There’s a Digimon in that thing!”

“What do we do?” Jeri cries.

Before anyone could give out a reasonable answer, the mist suddenly advances, filling up the entire outside area of Rika’s house before anyone could react. Every Tamer shielded their faces and braced themselves as the mist came for them. One by one, every Tamer opened their eyes.

“Guys?” Takato screams out. He could not see anyone. All around him was purple mist, not one of his friends in sight. 

“Takato?” Rika screams out, she could not see her friends, but hear their voices. “Where are you?”

“We’re over here!” Henry yells. 

“I’m scared!” Suzie screams. “Henry!”

“A-Ai! Ma-ako!” Impmon screams, struggling against the frozen state he was in. “Where are you?”

Suddenly, he hears laughter. He snaps his head around once more, only to see that next to him, is a pair of glowing red eyes. Impmon let’s the loudest scream 

“Impmon!” Ai cries out.

Takato needed a plan, he needed to figure out how to get out of this situation. How to help Impmon from whatever is in this field. He still doesn't understand how Impmon was here. It wasn't possible, but no. This wasn't the time to be indulged in questions he won’t get answers to. He needed to move, he needed to help Impmon.

Before Takato could run or even take a step towards his friend in need, the floor beneath him was nowhere to be found. Takato and the rest of his friends tumbled down the darkness of a pit. 

Takato could hear all of his friend’s screams begin to echo loudly as they began falling into a strange atmosphere. Their entire surroundings were pitch black. With only a few violet hues appeared is when Takato could catch a glimpse of his friends. 

Still in the middle of a cry, Kenta shouted out, “Guys what do we do!”

“Guys! I swear I will get us out of here!” Takato promised. “Just as soon a I-”

Jeri shouted, “Takato look!”

Henry eyes widen, “Is that-”

Henry couldn't even finish his sentence as all of the Tamers couldn't believe what was sown into the void.

Data. Multiple pieces of it were scattered all around them, shining bright as if they were diamonds and levitating all around. But what truly surprised Takato, as fell further, he saw amethyst-colored waves. Almost as if all of them plummeted down the depths of a sewer. 

Before Takato could try to tell his friends what he saw ahead, a small piece of data slaps and attaches itself into the side of Takato’s chest. He grunts but the pain has only just begun. 

They immediately were attaching like glue to his legs, his arms, his face and every part of his body. He could hear his friends and Impmon shriek and wail as the data pieces were slowly covering them. Takato screams in agony, as he tries to scratch off the pieces of data. But with no effort, dozens and dozens of more data crashed into him. He tried calling out to his friends once more, but by now his entire mouth was suffocated under the data pieces. 

Scared and helpless, all Takato could do was watch his vision steadily fade away into the darkness of the data. 

Beep Beep

“Huh-” Takato mumbled as he didn’t realize that his own D-Power had gotten into the palm of his hand. With very little strength he had left, he put the device in front of his face. Not before the data itself began to cover his wrists, His D-Power turned on, for the first time in a long while. It beeped once more as he began to form a scream, showcasing its reading for Takato to see what kind of Digimon had interrupted Rika’s birthday. But before Takato could even see the name or a picture, his eyes had been engulfed in darkness. Without any sound or vision, the data had stifled him. He felt his own consciousness slipping away. The last Takato could even remotely feel was his entire body, diving into the waves below. 

Chapter Text

“No no no! I said buy Blossom Balloons! Not Orange!”

An angry Mimi stood in the middle of Odaiba’s beach where the festival set up had already begun. Multiple wooden stands and picnic tables were all across the beach. Each stand had red and pinkish colored ribbons and flags. While the picnic tables were covered in light pink tablecloths being held down by vases full of roses. 

Mimi had dyed original strawberry blonde  hair into a light rose color wolf cut. The 18 year old had on a Light Pink low cut, crop top. With Long sleeves with ruffle ends. Along with baby blue denim shorts and sand colored platform sandals decorated with fake Margarita Flowers. 

Mimi was below the stage as she yelled at Matt & Izzy who were up on two ladders as they had already tied the majority of balloons they purchased. to the main center stage. 

Matt had cut off inches of his growing blonde hair and resided back to a short hairstyle while still keeping the same bangs that resided on the right side of forehead. The 18 year old wore a gray denim short sleeve shirt with its collar wide open. Underneath he had a white tank top tee with the Crest of Friendships imprinted in the middle. Along with black jeans rolled up that had silver chains attached and black doc martens.

Izzy, who still left his red spiky hair short, was wearing  a light orange sweater that was zipped open with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Under the sweater was a black and gray striped t-shirt and black cargo pants with worn out ebony boots with orange shoelaces. 

“What the hell is Blossom?” Matt asked. 

“Well if you knew your colors properly, you would know it’s another shade of Pink!” Mimi sneered.

Izzy sighed heavily, “Mimi, we have spent almost 2 hours putting up these balloons. Matt and I are not going to spend another two hours removing all of them to your liking.”

Ever since they had begun their Digimon festival, Mimi had always made herself in charge of decoration duty. But it seemed with every passing year, Mimi grew bossier. 

Mimi stomps her foot, “But we leave the orange balloons, it will ruin the rest of the festival's aesthetic!” 

“Well I think the orange balloons are a good color combination.” 

Mimi turned around to see her other friend, Sora and her partner Digimon, Bioymon entering the scene. Behind the two was Gomamon and Joe. As he was busy stuffing multiple folders into a pretty large black backpack. 

Sora wore a simple light blue, v neck and  crop top tee. The design was graphic printed, maroon colored, butterflies and flowers. Along with light gray, denim shorts and brown doc marten dress shoes

Joe resorted back to his old hairstyle as a kid. The only difference is that he combed down his spiky hair strands that used to stick out. He dressed more neater as he wore a navy blue cotton and jacket with a black- collared shirt underneath. As well as tan khaki pants and sand-colored formal shoes. 

“Sorry I’m late, I had to wait until Joe was done with class…” Sora said as she side-eyed the Digidestined of Reliability behind her. 

Matt quickly stepped down from the high step ladder and skidded towards his girlfriend. After the defeation of Malomytoismon, is when both Matt and Sora had come open about their new relationship. Currently going four years strong as Mimi already called dibs on being Sora’s bridesmaid.

Matt whispered a small “I miss you” to Sora before wrapping his right arms around her shoulder. 

Sora's eyes perked up, “Hey, where are your Digimon?”

“Oh, Mimi let them take a break. So they are out playing in the sea,” Izzy answered as his eyes directed towards the ocean. 

Gabumon and Palmon were laughing in delight splashing around in the water. Particularly trying to direct their splashes of the waves towards Tentomon. Who seemed scared of the water as he insisted on flying in the air the entire time.

Biyomon wings perked up in excitement, “Oh! Looks fun! Can I join them, Sora?”

Sora gave her Digimon a bright smile. “You don’t have to ask Bioymon, go right ahead!”

Gomamon began to run behind Biyomon as well. But not before turning back to Joe for a moment, “Come on Joe! Come in the water with me!”

Joe pushed up his glasses, “I don’t have the correct attire with me for swimming, Gomamon. Go with them, I’m gonna stay here and catch up with the others.” 

“Alright, suit yourself!” Gomamon yelled out as he jumped towards the waves ahead. 

“Since when are you taking classes Joe?” Izzy asked, turning back to the old topic.

“Since today!” Joe exclaimed, “These types of classes are to help get me certified for jobs in the medical field!”

“Class?” Mimi scoffed. “Joe! How can you be taking classes during this time? It’s called Summer Break for a reason!”

Joe took off and placed  his backpack on a picnic table. “Well by taking college classes, it leaves me prepared for when I transition from high school to medical classes.”

“Sounds like you’re on the right track Joe.” Matt answered, “Now that we are seniors, it’s good that you’re getting prepared. I actually signed up for a music internship myself. So I can have some job experience as a musician.”

“I applied for an internship as well!” Izzy exclaimed, “It’s this Computer and Tech Program they are teaching at one of Japan’s top universities! They haven’t actually told me what university but I will be able to do coding and-”

Mimi waved her hands in the air “Okay okay! I came here to visit this week to spend time and have actual fun with you guys. So no more talk about college, programs or taking tests or any of that!” 

“Tests? Why the hell are we talking about school? It’s the first day of summer!”

The old group of Digidestined, recognized the charismatic voice anywhere. Tai himself. Along with Agumon hopping right beside him

Mimi nodded aggressively, “Exactly that’s what I’ve been saying!”  

Matt looks behind Tai, “Where’s Kari?”

Tai shrugged, “We were on the way to the beach together, until we ran into Yolei. Then Kari and her decided to go to a convenience store at the last minute.”

“Aw, why didn't you go with them?” Sora asked with a smile.

“They didn’t even bother to ask me!” Tai huffed, “Those two just straight up abandoned me!”

Agumon patted his partner on his right leg in pity.

“Thanks buddy,” Tai sighed, “Anyway, Davis and the others aren’t here yet?” 

“Nah, it’s only been me, Izzy and Mimi. We’ve been here for an… I believe it took an hour to decorate. 

“...And it’s going to take another hour before we can finish setting up every single decoration and food.” Matt sighed.

“Hey! Help is on the way!”

The whole gang turned around to see the voice they heard had been Yolei. As was joined by Kari, TK, and Cody. Along with their Digimon partners,  Gatomon, Hawkmon, Patamon and Armadillomon. Both Kari and Yolei were carrying two bags each of shopping clothes. 

Yolei had her long lavender hair in quasi cornrows with lime green butterfly clips, styled with thin strands of hair hanging loose by her eyes. She wore a simple matching lime-green, v-neck ribbed and cropped shirt with short sleeves. Along with roseaste colored jeans with sand colored flats. 

TK had grown out his blonde hair as the ends of his hair reached over his neck. The blonde wore a white Hawaiian shirt with green dragons and yellow flower patterns all around. Underneath was a light green tank top, brown denim shorts and brown sneakers. Making TK look as if he was hippie that surfed on weekends 

Cody had reached his growth spurt as now he was tall TK and Davis. Cody had styled his hair into a mullet haircut. Plus I had a simple white cardigan with black t-shirt underneath, retro washed out jeans from the late 80s and some black tennis shoes. Lately Cody had been wearing clothes that belonged to his father. So Cody in his own special way honors his Dad. 

“Yolei!” Mimi cried out to the younger girl. 

“Mimi!” Yolei exclaimed as the two ran and hugged each other so tight.

“I missed you!” Both girls said as they began to well up in a waterfall of tears.

“Sorry we’re late to set up,” Kari apologized to Mimi, “Yolei and I took way longer at the shopping than we had originally planned.  Then we ran into TK and Cody from there.”

Joe straightened his collar and walked towards the younger Digidestined, “You guys need to have better time management. As high school students, you should learn to prioritize your plans and-”

Joe didn’t even have the ability to finish as Mimi smacked him away from Kari, “Kari! Is what Sora told me true? Is it?”

Kari nodded her head yes and gave a flustered smile. TK went up to Kari and held her hand, “What Sora said is true…”

Mimi squeaked, punching her fists in the air as she smacked Joe once again. As he was barely trying to stand back up. “Ah! I’m so happy! I was always rooting for you two!” 

As Cody helped Joe up once more, he said “Yes, yes. TK and Kari are a couple, I know we are all happy about this. But Mimi, how far along are Willis and the others?”

Mimi's eyes widened and quickly snatched up her D-Terminal. Cody had been right! Willis had sent her a message the night before about how he and the rest of his Digidestined were boarding the plane over to Japan. She had responded but hadn't thought to check in with how far along the other Global Digidestined from arriving. 

Opening her message, Mimi had received a text from Willis almost 20 minutes, saying that he and his friends would arrive in an hour. An hour! At the same time, Mimi was receiving the other messages from the Hong Kong and Russian Digidestined and how close they were to Japan!

“Oh my! Almost everyone will be here in nearly an hour!” Mimi said quietly.

“Mimi! You’re barely seen those messages?” Sora asked. 

“I know! I’m all over the place. I got distracted with making sure all the decorations were color-coded and organized. Then Matt and Izzy brought the worse balloons-”

“Enough with the balloons!” Matt snapped. 

“How much more do you guys need to do?” Tai questioned.

Izzy crossed arms, “We’re only halfway done. We haven’t even started setting up the games and prizes. We don’t even know where Davis is with the food!”  

“Davis isn’t even here with the food?” Yolei huffed before raising her fist in the air. “How irresponsible of him! He’s going to ruin today’s festival! When I get my hands on him-”

“Isn’t it Ken’s apart of the food committee too?” TK implores.

“Well yes, but he's a good guy. He is on top of things. Unlike Davis.” Yolei said before she raised her fists once again. “Either way, when I get my hands on Davis, he will regret he ever-”

“Wait! Wait! I’m here!”

From afar, Ken and Davis were skidding  down the beach with their shopping cart full and towards their friends. As Poor DemiVeemon and Minomon were being thrown left and right by the speed of the shopping cart.

“Guys…. Guys I… sorry… I….” Davis struggled to talk as he was trying to regain his breathing from running. He motions towards Ken to speak for me.

Ken removed the sweat from his forehead and sighed, “We apologize for our timing. There was a huge car crash right by while we were shopping. The police closed off a whole street and we had to take the long way over here.”

“Oh my god.” TK gasped

Yolei clasped her hand over her mouth, “Are you okay?”

Davis gave his best crooked smile, “Yeah! I was completely-”

“Excuse me, I was talking to Ken!” Yolei snapped before she laid the palm of her hand on Ken’s cheek. “Are you okay?”

Ken felt his face warm up by the touch of Yolei. He gave her a small smile as he grabbed her hand and slowly pulled it down. “Don’t worry. Like I said we weren’t anywhere near the accident.” 

“That’s good to hear,” Yolei smiled back before she looked over to Davis and glared, “I guess Davis doesn’t deserve to get punched today.”

Davis blinked. “Wait what-”

“Alright guys!” Tai called out to the whole group before him. “Now that we are here and accounted for. We have less than an hour to set up!” 

Mimi raised her hands in the air, “Let’s get to it everyone!”

An hour had passed and it was a productive one. Both teams of Digidestined and their Digimon were able to successfully perfectly arrange all the platters of food Davis and Ken had purchased. Every single game was set up such as Duck Soup, Ring Toss and others. As Willis and the others were barely arriving in Japan, both teams decided to rest by the picnic tables. As they all treated themselves to soda and ice cream.

After their work was done, the Original Digidestined’s Digimon had returned back to play in the ocean. Now tossing around a brand new beach ball. Much to Tentomon’s dislike, he couldn't handle the splashing around of the water. 

As for Davis and his friend's Digimon, they were all keeping busy trying to accomplish the best sandcastle they could make. DemiVeemon, now back to his rookie form, Veemon was struggling to sculpt details into his medium sized castle. As he used his sharp nails to carve out windows, he accidentally ended up making a tower from the castle fall into pieces.  

Veemon let out a huge sigh before turning to Davis. “Davish, could you please help me with this castle? It keeps falling!”

His human friend didn’t respond, as if he seemed to have not heard what Veemon had said. Davis was too distracted, scribbling down something on a small blue notebook. 

“Davish?” Veemon called out to him once more.

Still no response, Veemon got close and leaned over Davis’s shoulder. As soon as Veemon saw what he was writing, he should have known better by now. Davis was adding yet another “Perfect Date Idea” to his Summer Romance Planner. Oh Davis, he was surely getting ahead of himself. Veemon appreciated Davis’s creativity but knew he needed his friend to snap back into reality. 

“Davish!” Veemon yelled into’s partner ear. Causing Davis to be startled, throwing his book into the air before landing back in arms.

Davis turned around to face his blue dino friend. “What the heck Veemon?” 

“Davish! I said your name at leastsh 50 times! But you got your nose all stuck up in that notebook!” Veemon yelled before he crossed his arms. 

Davis put his hands in claps as he asked for forgiveness, “Sorry buddy. It’s because I thought of another awesome idea!”

Veemon sighed, “Is it another fantatish date idea?”

Davis shook his head in excitement. “No, I ran out of ideas for that. Instead, I decided that I’m gonna write a romance book!”

Veemon lowered his face in disappointment. “But Davish, you have no romantic experience!”

“Shush!” Davis whispered-yelled into Veemon’s face. “I don’t need you saying that kind of information out loud.”

Veemon sat alongside Davis and crossed his arms. “Alright so explain ya-self…”

Davis gave a bright smile and opened up his notebook once more. “Well my original plan is to have the best summer romance. So I wrote the best ideas for a date. But I was thinking instead, I could use those ideas for romance novel. I’m calling it 20 Dates."

Before Veemon could even ask why Davis named it that, His partner kept going. “It was about this rich guy liking this girl and asking her out. But she doesn't believe he’s boyfriend material, so he places a bet. That he will take on 20 amazing dates to prove he’s boyfriend material. But if she doesn’t fall for him by the end of 20 Dates, he will give $10,000.”

“$10,000? Wow!” Veemon exclaimed. For Digimon not having a clue about romance, he likes this idea of Davis. But he needed to understand something. “But Davish… how will this help you find a friendgirl?”

“You mean girlfriend?” Davis corrected.

Veemon nodded, “Yeah! Girlfriend!”

“Well, maybe it won’t happen right away.” Davis answered honestly. “But if I learn and write about it, maybe then I will understand how to have-”

Before Davis could attempt to finish, a huge gust of wind passed through the two. As Davis and Veemon began to shiver, they saw how what was once a bright and clear sky, was now dark clouds began to all lumped together. Appearing to be moving rapidly over to his friends and their Digimon. 

The Original Digidestined’s Digimon slowly stopped splashing around in the water as they saw the clouds slowly overcame them. Agumon was the first to notice that the waters below him were beginning to turn a different color. The ocean’s bright azure waters were now spilling into a musky magenta color. Even though these waters did no harm, Agumon and the rest of his Digital friends knew that the ocean itself had become unstable. 

Agumon had begun making his way out of the water as fast as he could, “Tai! Something’s wrong!”

Izzy and the others had snapped out of their conversations to see the trouble the skies were bringing.

Mimi clenched her hands into fists, “What the hell! The weathermen had promised clear skies!”

“Everyone! Let's try to salvage what we can before the rain comes!” Matt called to the rest of the Digidestined as they all got up from the original positions and began packing away as much food, games, and decorations. 

Yolei began stuffing chips bags back in a cardboard box, “I can’t believe after all our hard work, we have to pack all away!”

“It seems like the Gods of Weather are not our side today,” TK laughed

“Less talking, more packing!” Davis yelled to his friends as he knew he didn’t want Mimi’s perfect festival to be ruined because of the weather.

As Davis and all of his friends were opening boxes left and right and salvaging what they could, Davis’s eye had caught the only person who wasn’t helping out. Tai. The older boy was just standing near the edge of the ocean where it was washing ashore. He wasn’t staring at his friend Agumon making his way towards him, his eyes were up in the clouds. He stood still, lost within a trance

“Tai? What’s wrong?” Davis called out. Kari had also begun to take notice of her brother as he didn’t seem to respond.

With a glance at once another, they both ran up to the older boy. Kari called out her brother’s name once more. But yet, he didn’t seem to twitch or turn his head around by the call of his head. Once Kari and Davis had reached Tai, Kari pulled on Tai’s arm. Finally snapping him out of his unusual trance.

“Tai! Are you okay?” Kari cried once more.

Tai blinked a few times, removing his hand from Kari and  laying it on the back of his head. “Kari, sorry it’s just that I-”

“TAI!”

Tai snapped his head around by the sound of Agumon, who was struggling to try to reach his partner. Until huge ghastly waves pulled him back, as if the ocean had sprouted hands and refused to let Agumon see the light of day. All of his other Digimon friends seem to be in the same situation as Bioymon and Gaabumon were coughing violently as the ocean sea salt waters filled their lungs. Tentomon was struggling to pull and fly his friends Palmon and Gomamon out of the water as the waves kept trying to succumb them. 

“Agumon! I’m coming!” Tai finally came to his senses but before he could take another step further, Kari held on to his arm once more.

“Tai, are you crazy? It’s too dangerous to go in!” Kari yelled at her brother as the winds grew stronger.

Tai could barely hear her sister as the rain began to pour, but seeing the scared look on her face. He knew the look in her eyes. He’s seen that look on her face, the night he left their house, 6 months ago. His sister was scared that it was going to happen again. He held her hand, “I’ll be okay. I’ll be back! I promise.” 

Kari couldn't keep a grip on her brother as he ran off into the chaotic ocean waves. Alongside Matt, Sora, Mimi, Joe and Izzy, as all 6 delved into the crip and freezing waters to save their Digimon. 

“Tai- ugh-” Agumon struggled to speak as Tai began to make his way towards the dinosaur. 

Finally, Tai grabbed Agumon, pulling him back up, “Don't worry buddy I got-”

Mimi let out an ear-piercing scream, “LOOK OUT!”

All 6 Digidestined turned to feast their eyes as the tallest wave had emerged. Tai and all of his friends and their partners tried their best to swim away. But as soon thunder was heard and a shot of lighting hit the ocean’s fearest waves, all of the Oldest Digidesitned succumbed into the depths of the ocean. Nowhere to be seen.

“TAI!” Kari screamed as ran away from Davis and tried diving into the ocean as well. But not before her beloved boyfriend T.K grabbed her.

“Let me go! Tai! Your brother- ” Kari cried as she tried to escape TK's grasp. 

“It’s not safe Kari! We have to get out of here!” TK yelled over the sounds of rain as it began crashing much harsher. 

With Yolei, Ken and Cody and their partners now beside the rest of their team members, Yolei cried out to TK, “But if we leave them, Tai and the others could DIE!” 

Cody shielded his arms from the rain “But if we dare enter the ocean, we could DIE TOO!” 

“We need to go to Kari!” TK snapped once more as he and Yolei tried to pull her away from the chaos of the waves. 

“Kari please…” Gatomon pleaded to her partner

“We can get out of here and go find help!” Ken suggested as loud as he could.

“We. Can’t. Leave. TAI!” Kari cried as tears began to stream down her face instead of the rain, “Getting help would take too long. I’m not going to lose him again!”

“Wait!” Davis yelled, “One of the Digimon could get them! Veemon could Armor Digivolve into Raindromon! Or even Armadillomon could-”

“Davis!” TK snapped, “This isn't something our Digimon could fight! We have to-”

Yolei screamed as she pointed to the skies in front of her, “AH! What is that-”

Davis and his friends couldn’t believe what was evolving right in them. A water tornado, also known as waterspout, had formed right in front of them. The ocean’s waves continued to crash and splash around as the waterspout began to make its way in one single and specific direction. Right towards the vulnerable teens.

“RUN!” Davis cried as he snapped up Veemon in one stop and raced with his friends to escape the area of the beach. Davis watched as all the stands, decorations and festival that they worked so hard to put together, disintegrated and disappeared right in front of them. Davis felt his heart beating out of his chest as he felt the thunder roaring through the skies and as how husky the wind blew. 

As Davis and the rest of the friends holding their Digital Partners made their way out, Davis stopped dead in his tracks as he felt water soak his shoes. He turns around to shriek to see that the ocean has surpassed the beach, making way for waterspouts to come and take them all. Davis heard a screech as he and his friends saw Cody was off his feet and was trying to be swept away by the water’s of waterspout itself. 

They watched as Armadillomon dropped from his arms and grabbed Cody’s t-shirt by the mouth. Attempting to pull down Cody from the regions of waterspout before Armadillomon himself flew up as well. 

“CODY!” Everyone cried after their youngest friend.

As Waterspout winds and power grew stronger, one by one, each of Digidestined were gravity turned against them as they whisked away into the depths of the fiery storm. Their screams and shrieks were heard all as Davis watched helplessly watching all of his friends and their Digimon disappear into the storm’s madness. As Davis was the last one of his friends left, the waterspout attempted to lift Davis away. But as last attempt to fight against the waterspout, Davis, still holding Veemon, latched  and held his entire body into the stairwell's handles. 

“Veemon!” Davis shouted, “I want to let you know, you’re the best partner I could’ve ever asked for!”

“Davish…” Veemon weeped. He didn’t want this to be their final goodbye. Suddenly Veemon’s eyes spread wide open as he faced the waterspout. “DAVISH look!”

Davis dared to look into the eye of the storm, as what he saw, he couldn't believe he was seeing. The storm itself seemed to form into a face of its own. With droopy and hollow eyes and a mouth widening open, as if he was ready to slowly Davis whole. 

The waterspout still swifting and spinning its water around, the storm let out an ear-piercing scream, causing Davis’ D-3 to beat rapidly. The piercing scream caused Davis’s head to begin throbbing violently. He clenched his eyes shut and let out a scream from the pain itself. The pain wouldn't stop as it kept pounding and pounding. Suddenly showing Davis, scattering images of things, he couldn't comprehend.

The construction of brick walls crumbling to pieces, a boy with goggles crying in pain along with another google boy sobbing, Tai falling to his death as he smacked down on concrete, a small and white Digimon running in fear. A tall dark man with long ebony hair, he carried an unconscious girl in bridal style. With tears streamed down her face, her eyes were wide open in fear. In the end before everything went dark, he saw white furred Digimon with a horn on its body and wearing pink hamiki. He put a finger to the gray fur of his mouth and quietly hushed.

Chapter Text

Takuya swore on his life that the last thing he remembered was these weirdly colored waves that came out of nowhere and drowned him and his friends. He swore it felt as if he died. But yet, he found himself opening his eyes to the Batman poster taped to the ceiling of his bedroom.

He was in his room… huh. Maybe going to the Trailmon station and seeing Bokomon and Neemon again was all a crazy dream. As Takuya slowly shifted to sit up on his bed, a warm touch of a hand carefully caressed his cheek. He shuffled around to see his own mother, 

In the hazy sunlight, Yuriko Kanbara beamed brightly as she leaned over her son. “Takuya, I was just coming to wake you up…”

Takuya gave a soft smile back. “Oh Ma, I swear I feel like Kouichi. I had the craziest dream..”

“Oh that Kouichi,” Yuriko softly laughed as she continued to rub Takuya’s cheek, “It's  sad that he and the rest of your friends won't be around by the end of this year”.

Takuya was startled by his mother’s strange words. “Wait, what?”

His mother began laughing as she turned her head down. In the blink of an eye, her amber short hair quickly grew into long and flowing black hair. Ebony colored demonic wings sprouted from the sides of her head as snapped her face to Takuya’s. Cackling like a maniac, this creature is revealed to be a being far from Takuya’s mother.

A Digimon. 

With her ebony bangs hanging in her pale blue face, her sleek and lavender eyes were menacingly staring into Takuya. What were once his mother's warm hands, were now   chilling and scaly hands. The frightening woman shot out her hands and dug her long, black and sharp nails around Takuya's neck. Choking him. 

Takuya struggled for air against her restraints, attempting to kick this digimon’s body off of him. Much to his tries, he was unable to fight against the digimon's tight grip upon him. As the Legendary Warrior began to lose his consciousness, her ungodly laughter began to roar much louder.

 With her sharp teeth shining through, she shouted, “Don’t you know? Out of everyone, the master wants to spare you Takuya!” 

Takuya’s eyes sprouted open from the frightening dream, grabbing his neck to see if those slimy hands were still suffocating him. But, there was nothing. No Digimon, no such danger. It was all a nightmare. He closed his eyes once more as he tried to regulate his breathing. 

“Takuya!”

Takuya turned around to see a familiar face of Zoe. 

“Thank goodness you’re awake. You were out for so long, I was afraid you had damaged your brain or something!” Zoe signed in relief.

Takuya didn’t even respond, he sat up from his position slowly. He winces, and stares down at himself. He had cuts and scratches all over his body. Even worse, pieces of what looked like crystals stuck into his skin like cactus needles. Grimacing, he remembers Zoey and turns to her.  Making his way to get close to Zoe’s face, with a look of suspicion on his features.

Zoe felt her face heat up by the way Takuya got close to her. As she backed away, she asked, “Uh… did you hurt your head?” 

Takuya, still not bothering to respond, grabbed her hand and analyzed it carefully. Her hands were neither scaly nor cold.  Just warm, fair skin with sparkly lavender-colored nails. 

Takuya sheepishly smiled as he backed away. “Sorry Z, I had to make sure you weren’t a Digimon trying to kill me.” 

Zoe snatched her hand away, “Jesus you could have quizzed me or something. You had been thinking you got amnesia!”

“Again sorry.” Takuya straightened himself up, ignoring the pain of the cuts, and noticing his strange surroundings. “Where the hell are we?”

From a glance, it seemed to look like any ordinary forest. But the biggest difference was how the trees were shining so brightly by the sun’s beam directed upon them. The tree, shrubs and bushes all were covered and intertwined with the prettiest diamonds Takuya ever laid his eyes on. Heck, they look more expensive than his mother’s wedding ring. The trunks of the tree themselves looked somehow had glued glitter upon them. While the grass beneath him had a sliver shine to it. It was beautiful, like he had just walked into a Winter Wonderland. The only normal familiarity was the baby blue sky above him.

Zoe gave a small laugh as she stood up as well. Takuya inspected her more and realized she too carried the same cuts and scratches he had. “I think we’re back. But this area is like nothing I’ve ever seen before…”

Takuya then eyes widened as he came to realize something. “Wait if we’re in the Digital World, that means-”

Before Takuya could finish his sentence, Zoe proceeded to remove one crystal that was sticking out of his skin. 

“Ow!” Takuya cries. “What the heck was that for?”

“What? I’m helping you, now hold still.” Zoe answered back. She plucks another one off him and he yelps.

“God, at least let me finish my sentence before you go off and- Ow! Quit it!” Takuya scowls as Zoe plucks another crystal out of him. Zoey shrugs. 

Takuya grabs for his backpocket where his black flip-phone would be. To much of his excitement, he found his old black and red D-Tector in his hands once more.

“Oh man! It’s been so long since I’ve seen this!” Takuya exclaimed as he pulled the D-Tector closer to him. “Agunimon! Buddy! I never thought I would see you again!”

But the tiny screen on D-Tector displayed no sign of Aguimon's face. Or even the embodiment of his Spirit. It was nothing but a gray screen that only reflected Takuya’s own face back. 

Takuya furrowed his eyebrow and pressed a few buttons, “Agunimon? It’s me Takuya…”

Takuya frowned as there was no response back. Still frowning, Takuya turned to Zoe, “Do you think he’s missing?”

Zoe shrugs. Takuya hangs his head in disbelief…giving Zoey the chance to pluck another crystal off his arm. 

“Dammit woman! Stop doing that!” Takuya rubs at his arm. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, you’re covered in these things.” Zoey apologizes, inspecting the crystal piece. It was shaped like a leaf.

“Yeah…why is that?” Takuya asks.

“I found you in these bushes and the darn things just kept clinging onto you.” Zoey explains. 

“I wonder who’s lame idea it was to grow a crystal forest.” Takuya complains, checking himself over for more of those crystals, not able to avoid Zoey when she plucks another unseen one off his leg. “I seriously hope they are rotting in their grave.”

“Curse them out later.” Zoey sighs. “We still have friends to find.”

“Huh?” Takuya quickly realized they were missing some people. “Dammit, you’re right. The last thing I remember was that giant wave coming down on us…”

Zoey gives him an odd look. “What wave?”

“That big one that took us when we were in the Trailmon Station.” Getting another look of confusion from Zoey, Takuya frowned. “You do remember us going there, right Zoey?”

Zoey held her head, like it hurt. “I mean I remember going to the Training station, but after that… it’s all a blur.”

Takuya frowned, whatever brought them back here in the Digital World, didn’t really show no mercy. The first time, Takuya had somewhat the luxury of riding to the Digital world on a Train. Ophanimon thought thoroughly about how to lure children into her homeworld. But if Ophanimon had needed them to come here again, why did he and his friends have to be dragged and suffocated to come back? Now poor Zoey, had memory damaged from their not so fun waterpark experience. 

“You think… the Digital World is in trouble again?” Takuya asked Zoey.

Zoe furrowed her eyebrows, “It shouldn't be, I mean we defeated Lucemon.”

“Yeah but he’s a Digimon, and they have the ability to be reborn, so what if… what if he’s back?” Takuya said in sorrow.

“Takuya…” Zoe softy said.

Takuya looked like he had just been defeated. “I mean everything we did, all the battles we fought and Kouichi almost dying, was all for nothing?” 

Zoe stood up and grabbed his shoulders, “Takuya listen!” 

Takuya stopped rambling because of Zoe’s voice of concern. Takuya hadn’t noticed he was breathing heavily, as Zoe had rested her hand upon his cheek. Attempting to calm her best friend down. Moreover, the warmness of her hand helped him to ease up. It was nice.

“Look, let’s not jump to any conclusions yet. First, let’s just put our energy into finding our friends, just like you said. Which eventually will lead us to Bokomon and Neemon, who can tell us about what’s going on. Does that sound okay?” Zoe softy smiled 

Takuya took a deep breath before grabbing onto Zoe’s hand upon his cheek. Taking her hand into the palms of his hands. Takuya’s smile was back. “Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks Zoe.”

Zoe smiled back “Of course, I can’t have you about to lose your cool. Now come on, we have a lot of ground to cover.”

Ken felt numb. He couldn’t move his body. It was so dark. Or was it dark? He couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or not. Not all his thoughts were in order yet. Ken let a few seconds pass and the pain became immediate. He groans as the feeling comes back in his legs. He slowly cracks open his eyes through the pain. 

Above him sparkles shine. He squinted his eyes, trying to get them adjusted to the light of the place he was in. Slowly, does he realize above him were trees. At least he thought they were trees. They shined so brightly, and weren’t green. Instead it looked as if the trees were made of diamonds and crystals. The branches, from what he could see, were cracked and pointing dangerously in his direction. If one fell he might end up stabbed. Despite the danger he was in, he didn’t compel himself to move. His body was still rolling in waves of pain, especially throughout his legs. 

He stared at the opening in the tree branches. He must have fallen through them. It was a miracle he was even awake. Ken moves his arms in front of his face, grimacing as his aching limbs throb with pain. He examines his arms, which were laced with cuts, before pulling himself up to sit. He cries out as another wave of pain rolls within his right leg. He turns his head and almost pukes. 

An ugly gash ran down through his leg. Even worse, the source of the gash was still wedged inside his leg. A large flat chunk of crystal. Ken turns his head to the ground, forcing the urge to vomit down. He grips the grass around him, realizing it did not look normal, like the trees had. It was shiny and silver colored. He rips it up and holds it close to his face, inspecting it. Then he looks up.

Ken’s eyes go wide, realizing all around him the trees went on for miles and miles. He looks in every direction, just to confirm his suspicion. He was alone in this mad forest. 

“Hello?” Ken asks aloud. “Anyone…?”

The silence is almost deafening, and intercepted by the clinking of crystal leaves shaking in the wind. A pang of panic hits him and Ken begins to breathe in and out. He couldn’t panic. Not now. He didn’t have a clue where he was or how he got here.

All at once, he was plagued by memories. The darkening clouds over the ocean. The waters turn magenta as their Digimon friends struggle to escape. The incoming wall of water that fell upon the older Digidestined. The large water tornado that swallowed the rest of him and his friends up. His body being flung around inside, screaming as he blackens out.

Ken held his head. His head was pounding now, another pain to add on the list he already has. Gasping for breath, realizing he had begun to hyperventilate, he focuses on calming down. 

Well that explains how he got here. Now…where was everyone else?

Ken looks at his leg, repulsed to even be looking at it. The gash was ugly indeed, but, hopefully, not unmendable. He gingerly touches the crystal and flinches at the throb of pain that ricochets through the gash. Sucking in a breath of air, he grabs the crystal with both hands. 

Ken screams out, pulling the crystal out from the wound. He throws it to the grass, hunching over and grasps mounds of dirt from sheer pain. He gasps, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He dares to look back at his leg. Blood was gushing from the wound and he quickly placed his hands on it out of shock. 

“Dammit, dammit, dammit!” Ken cries, looking around for some way to stop the bleeding. 

He quickly devises a plan and begins ripping off the fabric of his long sleeve. Once he gathered as much as he could, which even then was not a lot, Ken wrapped his leg up, tying it off to stop the bleeding. He breathes heavily, watching his new bandage turn red from the blood. It would have to do until he found something else. 

Forcing himself to move, Ken tries getting up to his feet, but stops. Gritting his teeth, he realizes his right leg would not respond to his wants to move up. So instead, Ken begins a slow crawl, dragging his right leg with him. 

His friends. They had to be out there. And Wormmon. He must be out there too. 

Ken manages to crawl a good few feet, before collapsing onto the ground below. Breathing hard, he lifts himself up with his arms and just as quickly lands back down on the ground. His leg was aching beyond control and he was sure the loss of blood was only contributing to his condition. 

Ken knew well he would only get a few more feet in this condition, but at the same time, if he didn't find help soon enough his condition would worsen. He needed somehow to- of course!

Ken mustered up enough strength just to pull out his Digivice and D-terminal. Pain gushing through his leg, he tries to get a message out to his friends and begins typing away on the D-Terminal. 

“Please work.” Ken mutters, pressing send. 

To his relief the message is sent. Ken drops the D-terminal and falls flat onto the ground. He was exhausted and he could feel blood dripping off his leg. HIs eyes droop and he shakes his head, trying to stay awake. He couldn’t knock out now, not yet. 

Suddenly, Ken heard the faint sound of voice, it was too far away. But the closer the figure got, the more he could make out the voice.

“Ken! Ken!” 

Much to his surprise, he saw his partner Wormmon, racing his way towards him. Relief washes over Ken. He was saved. 

As Ken awaits for Wormmon, he finds himself becoming more exhausted than ever. His mind was becoming distorted, powerless to keep his body moving. He struggles but forces to keep focused upon Wormmon. As his Digital Partner rushes over, Ken notices a strange silhouette emerging behind his green caterpillar friend. 

His felt eyes go wide as the strange embodiment of the figure became larger within its size. The being had the structure of a lion's face, while its body stood like a powerful dark knight. Fear takes over Ken as now the dark knight was running at full speed, ready to take out the smaller digimon beneath him.

“W-worm…mon…” Ken coughs out, pleading to tell his little friend of the danger that lies behind him, but all Ken could do was watch in horror. 

Chapter Text

“Wow, they’re even uglier in person.”

Most of the time, JP would be the first to talk back towards backhanded remarks like that. But in his circumstances, his entire body was faced up against the cold floor beneath him.  Wrapped and restrained in the most itchy material his skin had ever bare to touch. He could return to his sleeping state, but he needed to know where he was. As well as who was speaking.

“These few were all we were able to obtain, ma’am.” Another masculine voice answered.

“And the rest?” The woman spoke again

“We are working on it as we speak ma’am.”

“So you called me without finding them all?”

“Yes, ma’am…but we’ll find them! I can assure you-”

A blast resonates into the air and it follows a sharp shriek. It takes JP several seconds to realize what he was hearing wasn’t just voices in his head. He groans, aches and bruises making themselves known as he rises from his groggy state. 

“Pathetic!” The female voice shouts. “Wasting my valuable time.”

“P-Please ma’am!” A male voice pleads. “We’ll find them! I beg of you!”

JP’s heart jumps as another blast rings in his ears. He works on forcing his eyes open, but it was like they were welded shut. He felt all too tired to even try. The next noise he hears is pained rasping.

“That was just a warning shot.” The female sneers, her voice louder than the other’s pleads and whimpers. “I should finish you off, but you know what, I’m feeling generous today. I expect you to call me when you find the rest, do you understand?”

“...y-yes!” The male voice cries out.

“Good.”

JP had heard enough. He pried his eyes open to see who was there, but his entire vision before him was a blurry mess. All he could see were blobs before him. It was only until a shining light passed through, causing his eyes to sting. But the cause of the light helped him out as he was finally able to fully open his eyes, regaining his clear vision. JP found himself behind barbed wire, trapped in ugly cage with rusting old metal. Looking down, his entire arms and legs were wrapped in the most irritating rope. JP had been captured, but how exactly did he get here? 

JP coughed “Hey! What’s the meaning of this?”

The male voice that one spoke before, turned to meet his cold gaze upon him, making JP gulp in fear. It had been so long since he had been face to face with a Digimon, and what a terrifying Digimon it was. 

The 7 feet tall Digimon was head to toe in cream colored armor, with scraps of its silver rust emerging. As if the knight had fought many battles and gained permanent damage because of it. The White Knight had his entire face covered in a bell shaped hemet, that had perfectly shaped white icicles in row sticking on top of the helmet. From the chest down, the knight carried many shiny and diamond like medals, seeming all in blue colored format. His shoulder pads were sharp to the eye and made a continuous pattern of diagonal diamond all the way down to the bust. The only visible part of the knight’s body was his long and toned legs, but even they were padded well with long armor knee pads that were connected to its long feet. And to top it all off, the white knight had its entire back of his body covered with a long and glittery cape. If Takuya were with him, he would just call this Digimon, Snow Batman. 

Whatever fear this Knight digimon had earlier, had disappeared. As he gave a cold laugh to JP. “Trust me boy, your crimes have much meaning to them.”

JP rubbed his ear upon his shoulder, believing he had misheard him. “Crimes? What crimes?” 

“As IceKnightmon, we have the authority and command to obtain you and your friend’s crimes as trespassers upon this Digital land.”  The IceKnightmon explained in a civil manner 

“My friends-” JP winded his eyes as turned to the left to see Tommy and Kouji tied up and unconscious as he was before.

“Kouji! Tommy!” JP cried to his friends, but there was no such response from Kouji and Tommy

At the sight of his friend's terrible stability, JP gripped his hands in anger. “Look buddy! My friends and I didn't mean to trespass in this area. The last thing I remember was being with my friends back at home. And before I knew it, something brought us here against our will!”

“You humans come up with the most ridiculous stories I have ever heard,” The IceKnightmon scoffed.

“It's the truth!” JP cried out. JP furrowed his eyebrows, he needed somehow to convince this officer that and his friends were innocent. He needed to get them the hell out of here and especially before they found the rest of his group. 

Wait JP was back in the Digital World which means…

With all his strength, JP attempted to push his hand through the itchy rope, hoping to snatch up his D-Tector that he believed was in his pockets. If he could transform into Beelzemon or even show the Knightmon his Legendary warrior, surely the IceKnightmon would reconsider him and his friends freedom.

The IceKnightmon suddenly banged his sword on the cage that held JP, snapping his attention back to the guard before him. “What kind of game are you playing, young man?” 

JP returned his hand back to his original position, thinking how to phrase his words carefully. In a softer tone of voice, JP began explaining himself “IceKnightmon, I clearly acknowledge that you are just trying to fulfill your important duty…”

“Huh, I know my way with words! Gotta remind myself later to thank Zoey for buying me that thesaurus!” JP thought before he continued.

“But you must understand, I, along with my friends, aren’t like any ordinary humans. It may seem like it, but we possess the spirits of the 10 Legendary Warriors. Those same warriors who had sleeeled and defeated Lucemon from destroying your home world. We were gifted this power by Celestial Digimon, Ophanimon. She herself is responsible for bringing us into your world, and if I’m correct, she must have summoned our presence to come again. Please before taking our friends away to your Mistress, or whoever your Superior is, reconsider your duty and call upon the Lady Ophanimon herself. Or better yet, untie me so I can prove to you that I am the Legendary Warrior of Lighting, Beetlemon!”

The IceKnightmon glared deeply into the eyes of the human beneath him. It was a complete few moments of silence before the IceKknightmon shook his head and threw his head back in such an aggressive manner. JP thought for a second that the helmet of IceKnightmon would just come off. But instead, a huge erupt of laughter escaped out of the IceKnightmon’s mouth. Such a wicked and powerful laughter that JP could feel the IceKnightmon’s echo through his chest.

JP was at a loss for words by IceKnightmon's reaction. “What’s so funny?”

Eventually, IceKnightmon heaved down his chorting. Wiping a non-existent tear away from his visor. “Legendary Warriors? Humans as Digimon! Ha! I appreciate the creativity within your lies, but only a fool could have believed that kind of manipulation…”

JP didn’t know if it was his own anger or some kind of power he never knew he had, but JP  hands broke free of the rope. Grabbing the bars of the cage, shaking its metal wrenches in madness. “This isn’t some sort of lie! I’m telling the truth! Go ask your majesty, Lady Ophanimon herself! She will believe me!”

The IceKnightmon banged on the cage that held JP once more. “Enough of fictitious stories out of you. All Digimon Citizens know well enough that the true majesty herself is Serenamon! Don’t you ever dare speak of other Lords in her name.”

“Serenamon?” JP furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Who-”

Before JP could finish his stance, a scream rose from afar. That high pitched scream. He recognized that scream from anywhere. At the left of the cave’s wall, two more identical IceKnightmon emerged to the area. Holding in their grasp, a frantic Zoe and almost unconscious Takuya.

JP’s eyes welled with tears as soon as he saw his other friends. “Taky! Z! Not you guys too!” 

Takuya slowly shot his head upward. JP dropped his jaw and the state Takuya was in. Almost his entire face was scratched up. He knew Takuya put up the best fight he could to not be captured. But it looks like his efforts didn’t lead to success. That's the kind of person Takuya is, he is selfless and is willing to get himself hurt rather than his friends.

Zoe had a few scratches herself, but it was nothing compared to the state Takuya was in. Assuming, Takuya was the one taking the hits for her in order to escape. But even though Zoey was not the slightest injured, her eyes were beaming with great anger. She swayed, kicked and fought her best efforts out of the IceKnightmon’s grasp. But no such luck due to overpowered strength of the IceKnightmon

“Let us go! Let us go, you barbarians!” Zoe demanded.

Ignoring Zoe, the IceKnightmon greeted his two fellow IceKnightmon with a bow. “Ah... you arrived just in time. Good work, put these humans with their annoying friend.”

Without a second thought, the two other Knightmon launched Takuya and Zoe into the cage with JP. Startling Kouji and Tommy from their unconscious state. 

“Ugh...” Kouji groans, opening his eyes. “What the hell is going on?”

Tommy’s eyes were wide in strange fear of his strange new surroundings. He looks to JP, for an answer, “JP, what-” 

“You don’t wanna know.” JP chuckled darkly. He knew it was a bad time to joke around, but it was all he could do to keep himself calm

“Quiet! All of you!” The IceKnightmon demands, he turns to the rest of the Knightmon. “Now we have all the trespassers within our hold…this is most excellent.”

“We’ve done nothing to you!” Takuya shouts. “Why are you doing this?”

“I said quiet!” One Knightmon says, lifting his sword towards Takuya, but another IceKnightmon grabs his arm. 

“We are not to harm the trespassers!” The IceKnightmon hisses. He looks at the humans. “Our instructions were clear. Capture them all and deliver them to the Mistress. I’ve already dealt with her fury, now we must continue our mission.”

As the IceKnightmon talked, JP realized that this Mistress must have been the voice he heard earlier. He didn’t understand. What could they want with them? What sort of dangers have they gotten themselves tangled up in this time in the Digital world?

“I’ll make the call. Do not let them escape.” The IceKnightmon commands his allies, leaving them where they stood.

JP glared at the IceKnightmon as they took their posts, their stares cutting into him like ice. 

“I heard you talk about Ophanimon, did she do this to us?” Tommy asked with confusion in his eyes. He didn’t want to believe the Digimon that were brought together as heroes, treated them like this. 

“Ophanimon didn’t do this. They don’t even know who she or the Celestial Digimon are.” JP answered.

“What? That’s impossible!” Kouji angrily-wshipered. 

Tommy titled his head. “Did you tell them that we’re-” 

“I tried!” JP huffed. Tommy flinched at the harshness of his tone. It wasn't like for him to get angry like that. “Sorry, I’m just frustrated that they don’t know shit about the Legendary Warriors. Those IceKnightmon thought I made it all up…”

“Same here….” Takuya agreed as he attempted to sit himself more properly. But it was hard when his hands and feet were tied up. “Even when I tried showing them my D-Tector, and attempted to spirit-envolve, Agunimon wouldn’t appear.”

“None of our spirits seem to work.” Zoe explained. “Something must be going on that we don’t know about.”

JP didn’t like their situation right now. Not one bit. He always used to imagine returning to the Digital World to visit their old friends. Being celebrated across the Digital World for being the brave and selfless heroes they were. He wanted to have a grand time when he and his friends would return. But this today is nothing compared to his wonderful daydreams. The whole Digital World had turned upside down. Hunting and imprisoning his friends as if they were criminals. They needed to get the hell outta of this place. Before things could turn up much worse.

“What about Kouichi? Do you know where he is?” Kouji asked, snapping JP to his situation before him. 

Takuya shook his head, “We thought he was here with you guys. He must be still out there then. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get captured either.”

JP didn’t enjoy the depressing look across everyone's faces. He couldn’t let him and his friends accept defeat so easily. JP exhaled a big breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Come on guys, we should come up with some sort of plan to escape. Right Taky?” 

Takuya looks at JP, in surprise. Even if JP wasn’t directly telling him, he was signaling to Takuya to be the leader once again. To never give up. Just like the many times he told them before in their early adventures Digital World. It had been so long since Takuya had been a leader, but JP was there to remind him. He may not be the leader of the group but knew what was best for the group as the oldest. 

Takuya brought out the best smile he could make. “Right, look we may not have our spirits working but we have brains. We have the talent. Let’s start brainstorming a plan.”

Even though his friends still had some fear within their faces, they nodded alongside Takuya. If Takuya had hope, so will they. 

“Right!” They all cheered.

Another wack was through the cage. One of the IceKnightmon had slammed his sword against the cage. “By the glory of Serenamon, don’t you kids ever stop yapping! You sound like a bunch of Impmons!”

“What’s an Impmon?” Takuya wondered.

“I said quiet!” The IceKnightmon yelled once more. He walked away, holding his head in pain. “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

JP swore if had his D-Tector on hand, he would give that IceKnightmon a piece of his mind. He wished he could talk to Beelzemon. Maybe…

As his friends were busy whispering out some ideas to escape, JP slid away for some privacy. With his free hand, he was able to yank out his blue and yellow colored D-Tector. It was the same shape and length in his hands as before. He knew Takuya said Aguimon didn’t listen to him, but it didn’t hurt to try.

“Come on Beetlemon. I know you can hear me.” JP whispers. “Help us get out of this place.”

There was no response. Not even a single whisper. JP could tell something was wrong. So many things were wrong. 

All he could do was wish for some hope.

“Oh no! Bokomon, what are we gonna do?” 

Bokomon spies from behind a bush, watching his human friends from afar. Neemon wasn’t spying like he was, he was going around in circles in a panic. Believing this would give them away, Bokomon grasped the strap of Digimon's pants and yanked him to the ground.

“We’re going to get caught if you keep doing that!” Bokomon scolded.

Neemon held his head. “I’m sorry!”

“Now stay still while I devise a plan on how to get our dear kids out.” Bokomon lectured, returning to watch the Warriors. 

Neemon joined Bokomon, kneeling beside him and peering over the bushes. “But Bokomon, they have swords! And I don’t like sharp things-”

“Shh!” Bokomon cries out, bonking the digimon on the head. “I can’t think with your nonsense!”

Neemon rubs his head. “Owwie!”

Bokomon resumed watching. Unfortunately, Neemon was right about one thing. These Digimon were much stronger than the two of them combined. They would be obliterated into digi pieces before they even set foot near the Warriors. Bokomon could not believe his dear children were in the midst of danger.

Bokomon bites on his nails. “This is not how it was supposed to go…”

Bokomon could still recall how only days ago he had been happily living in the Digital world. He and Neemon had been invited one day to go and visit their dear friends, the Celestial Digimon at the Forest Terminal. Bokomon had packed a special lunch of sandwiches and juice for his golden child, Seraphimon. He had been so proud to haul that packed lunch up the dozens of stairs…so many stairs.

“I could carry it, Bokomon!” Neemon had told him just as they reached the last set of stairs of the forest terminal. 

“No need!” Bokomon had replied, a giant smile on his face. “We’re almost there!”

The minute the two had reached the doors, they immediately noticed something was wrong. The doors to the castle had been left ajar. No one was there managing the doors, something that left Bokomon deeply troubled. 

“Where’s Sorcermon?” Neemon asked, confused as both Digimon entered through the doors. 

“I don’t know…” Bokomon replied, walking inside, hauling the picnic basket behind him.

Usually, Sorcermon would come and greet them by the castle doors, but this time there was not a soul to do so. The first eerie thing of many. It didn’t take Bokomon long to notice the damage on the walls of the castle. 

Something was wrong.

“I GOT IT!”

Bokomon nearly gasped, before grabbing his mouth in panic. Then he snapped to Neemon and snapped the digimon's pants. Neemon yowls in discomfort.

“Neemon, you frightened me!” Bokomon hissed.

“But I have a plan!”

“What are you blabbering about?” Bokomon sighs.

“We will find a strong Digimon!” Neemon proudly announces.

Bokommon rolls his eyes. “Neemon, of all the plans you could come up with, that is the utterly most ridiculous I’ve ever heard of-”

Out of the corner of his eye Bokomon spotted something that made his little heart freeze. A flying digimon far into the distance with the biggest blue eyes. But Bokomon could recognize that white and orange colored fur anywhere!

It was dear…. 

“Patamon!” Bokomon cries with joy, pushing Neemon to the side and runs after the stray digimon he sees in the forest.

Despite his loud cries, this patamon didn’t seem to take notice of Digimon calling his name. Patamon just kept flying away towards his destination

Neemon scratched his ear “How did Patamon get here? Isn’t he suppose to be-”

Neemon didn’t have the time to even finish his sentence as Bokomon pulled him by the string of his pants. “Hurry, we mustn't lose sight of him!”

“But Bokomon! I didn’t finish the spoiler!” Neemon cried out.

Bokomon never was the type to agree with Neemon, but for once he had a point. Was that really Patamon? His Patamon? Perhap he was getting his hopes high again. But he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe his gut to follow Patamon. Who knows if it was just his instincts as Digimon or he putting heart before head. He decided to trust himself.

Even though this glittery forest’s tall trees and bushes seem to all there is ot the forest, eventually the Patamon they were following flew high up and over a cliff. Where just beyond the trees seemed to be filled with rainbow lush and whatnot.

Bokomon knew he had to be as fast as him and Neemon scurried up the cliff to the best their little feet could take them. Bokomon was determined as ever as somehow found himself to be a rock climber all of the sudden. And good one at that. Unlike his strange new talents, Neemon wasn’t given such a gift as he was struggling and slipping away at the cliff’s materials.

Bokumon knew he was trying his best but he yelled out. “This isn’t time to lollygagging! We must hurry!”

Somehow and someway, both of them reached over the cliff. Neemon insisted on a break, so Bokumon didn't hesitate to drag him once again. 

The trees were much different up above compared to the ones below hand. They had the same shape and form like any other forest. But the branches were bright and shiny like a new metal. While the leaves and grass itself were mixed of rose and rogue colors. But below stood a big curtain full of the most pinkest of leaves. 

“Wow this whole forest looks like Valentine’s Day!” Neemon exclaimed 

“Valentine's Day? What is- Oh nevermind! Stop distracting me!” Bokumon yelled once more as he scanned the entire area around.

Bokomon for sure believed they had lost Patamon for sure. Their only last hope they had left standing in whatever miserable Digital World they were in. All of his human children were caged like animals, dear Kouichi was nowhere to be found and now all Legendary Warriors would-

“Bokumon I found Patamon!” Neemon cheered as he pointed his head from the pink-leaved curtains

While Bokumon was crippling in all kinds of worries, he hadn’t even noticed Neemon ran off without him. But for such good luck, it was good Neemon did. Without another word Bokumon ran with all his might to Neemon. Leading him towards their final destination.

Quieting their steps, Bokomon and Neemon watched from behind the tall trees as Patamon was picking out some flowers by his mouth. White ones to be exact, with shiny diamonds in the center.

“Ah, he looks as beautiful as the day he was born…” Bokumon sighed with tears welling up once more.

Nemmon put his paw against his chin to ponder out loud. “How should surprise him? Should we do a dance, recite poem, sing or-” 

Bokomon couldn’t hold his excitement and relief as he jumped from the tree and swung his arms in the air. Heavy tears flowed out from his eyes as he weeped, “Patamon!”

Patamon unexpectedly dropped his flowers at the sound of a newcomer. Before Patamon could even react, Bokomon hugged the mammal Digimon as if the entire Digital World was about to end any second

“Oh my baby!” Bokomon weeps loudly, hugging the dear life out of the Digimon. “You’re here! You’re here!”

Patamon gasps for air before shrieking. “TK!”

Bokomon holds up the digimon. “TK? Who on earth is this TK?”

Bokomon didn’t understand why his baby was acting this way. He was especially put into complete shock as Patamon used his tiny feet to push Bokumon off him. Patamon may be smaller than Bokumon but he sure had a lotta strength in that kick. Causing Bokumon to fall over on his bum.

Bokomon watched Patamon fly away once more within the trees. “How dare you do that to your mama-papa! Let’s go, Neemon!”

Patamon was only a foot away this time so Bokumon tried his best to snatch him with all his might. It wasn’t until Patasmon flew into the bright light that caused Bokumon to trip over some huge rocks. Landing face first into the hard ground.

“TK! I don't know this Digimon!”

“For the last time, who is this TK you speak of?” Bokomon yelled once more as he lifted his head to see what this fuss was all about. 

He was deeply shocked to see Patamon perched on the shoulder, hugging another human. A Human! Bokumon had just assumed his children were the only humans around here. The blue-eyed human had darker hair compared to Zoe. Dressed like he was going to have himself a beach day. 

“Um…I am?” The blonde said in an amused and confused matter.

“Patamon you-” Bokomon pestered once more. But as soon as he saw Patamon snuggled deeper into the neck of this so-called TK, he realized the truth.

Neemon runs up behind Bokomon, “Perhaps that's Patamon dad insead!” 

Bokomon sighed in disappointment, “Oh goodness, I should've known I was in the wrong. My humblest apologies Patamon, I confused you with another Digimon so dear to me…”

“Well I’m glad you apologize. Just don’t go hugging me without my permission again.” Patamon smiled.

“Well it's nice to see another Digimon, even though you scared my partner Patamon.” TK softly chuckled.

“Partner?” Bokomon asked. Who calls Digimon their partner, unless…

“Yeah, my Digimon Partner. I’m a Digidestined.” TK explained as he pulled his Digivice. A completely different shape compared to the D-Tectors he was used to. 

“Digidestined!” Neemon cried in shock

Bokomon slapped his paws onto his face in surprise. “I had no idea there was another Digidestined out here!” 

“TK, who are you talking to?” 

Both Bokomon and TK turned to the voice, and to add on Bokomon’s surprise, there were more humans! Only a foot away Bokomon spotted two girls and two boys! With an Armadillomon, a Gatomon, a Hawkmon, and a Veemon. Today was full of surprises for Bokomon. Where were these humans coming from?

“Heh, Patamon made some friends!” TK yelled out to the other humans. Before motioning Bokomon and Neemon to come with him. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my Digidestined friends.”

Once they had gotten closer, Bokomon was able to see the humans in much more detail as before. The group was surrounding a rock slab and as Bokomon got closer, he could see multiple bags and devices laying on said rock. One of their group members, a boy with goggles, was near a pile of sticks and trying to hit two rocks together near it. Possibly trying to ignite a fire as far as Bokomon could tell. 

TK explained to newcomer Digimon. “That’s my friend Cody and his partner Armadillomon,”

Cody was almost the same height as Tommy, they could have been the same age. But up close they look nothing alike. This Cody had much darker hair and wore a wooly sweater that Bokomon hope wasn’t made from the fur of a Digimon

“That’s Yolei and Hawkmon,” TK continued on. Yolei’s sense of fashion and fancy hairdo reminded a lot of Zoey. Perhaps they have a lot in common.

“That is Gatomon and my girlfriend Kari,” TK exclaimed as the short hair brunette blushed smiled at that remark. 

“And that’s Davis and his partner Veemon.” TK pointed over to the boy with goggles. Just like Takuya… 

Anyway, guys this is…” TK began before realizing he never knew the Digimon names. “I’m sorry I never got your names…

“Oh! The name is Bokomon!” Bokomon said in confidence as he bowed down to show his respect. “I have heard so much of the Digidestined and it’s an honor to meet you all. And this is-”

Bokomon turned to introduce Neemon, but found that Digimon was gone.

“Neemon? Neemon, where did you go now?” Bokomon shouted. 

“Oh, what pretty rocks!” Neemon’s voice suddenly rang out. Looking up, Bokomon spots Digimon near Davis. 

“Uh thanks?” Davis says, before striking the rocks together again. Causing a flame to ignite and jumps onto Neemon’s pants.

“AAAHHH!” Neemon screams and starts running around in a panic as flames run up his pant leg. 

“Gah!” Davis panics. He tries to stop the screaming digimon, but to no avail. “Hold still!”

“It burns! It burns!!” Neemon screams.

“Hold still!” Davis cried as he pulled out a water bottle and threw it. Unfortunately, instead of throwing water like he meant to, the entire water bottle flings out of his hands and knocks Neemon on the head. The digimon goes down and hits the ground dazed. 

“I got it! I got it!” Cody yells, grabbing a jacket and throwing it down on the flames and stomps it out.

“Phew!” Neemon says, once his daze is gone. “Thanks tiny Tommy!”

Cody furrowed his eyebrows at the strange nickname. “Tommy?”

Bokomon couldn't help but be embarrassed by the strange words Neemon choses to say in front of the newcomers. Oh wait a second, if they are Digidestined they surely could help them out!

“I know we just met but I am in dire need of your help!” Bokomon cried out. “You see, my kids are humans just like you! Digidestined as well! But they had been captured by these IceKnightmon and had them caged up. These cruel Digimon are planning to send my children to some evil being named Mistress. I can't even bear to imagine what kind of sick plan she has in store for them. I understand if this favor is too much of-”

“Of course we’ll help!” 

Bokomon was surprised as this Davis quickly accepted helping him out. His crooked smile makes Bokomon see the courage within him. “We’re Digidestined! We always help out other Digimon in need!”

Veemon hopped in front of Bokomon and shook his paw in pride. “Don’t cha worry Bokomon! Me and Davish will get the job done!”

“Don’t you forget about us,” TK added on “We may not look like it but me and Patamon could put up a good fight!”

“Same here!” Kari exclaimed as she and Gatomon stood alongside her boyfriend.

“You up for a rescue mission?” Yolei asked her partner. 

Hawkmon nodded. “You can count on us!”

Bokomon couldn't help but tear once more. He hugged Neemon in tightly matter as the feeling of relief and excitement washed all over his tiny figure. “Oh I can’t thank you enough!”

“Wait!”

Everyone turned around by the sound of Cody’s objection. “I want to help Bokomon and Neemon as well, but what are we gonna do about Ken? Remember the message he sent us on the D-Terminal?”

“Have you seen a tall guy with blue hair and a polo shirt? Going by the name of Ken?” Cody asked Bokomon.

“I have never seen a Ken, but I have heard of a Barbie!” Neemon cheerfully answered before Bokomon could even speak.

“Cody’s right.” Yolei agreed, “He’s still out there. Should we really go off and fight when we are missing a team member?  What if we need Imperialdramon to fight?” 

Davis pondered for a moment before looking into Bokomon’s eyes. Bokomon could see the fire that stemmed within them. It was filled with determination that reminded him so much of Takuya’s own spark. “Right now we don’t have any leads on Ken. Plus we don't know what part of the Digital World we’re in. If we go rescue Bokomon and Neemon’s friends from these IceKnightmon, maybe we could get some info from them that’ll help us find Ken.”

“Davis has a point, getting some information is vital when we clearly need some kind of map to figure out where we are.” Kari added on.

After a moment of taking in Davis's idea, both Yolei and Cody agreed.

TK kneelled next to Bokomon and Neemon. “Alright you two, lead us to your friends.”

“Come on copycats! This way!” Neemon nodded in excitement.  As he proceeded to run in the opposite direction of where he and Bokomon had previously come from.

“Um Neemon-” Davis began to protest.

Bokomon slapped the palm of his forehead in embarrassment. “Oh don't mind him, his head isn’t screwed on right. Come on and follow me instead!”

The fellow teenage humans grabbed their bags and personal items and skidded over to Bokomon. And Neemon scurried after them as well when he realized his mistake. 

Bokomon was glad that the appearance of Patamon led him to these other Digidestined. They seemed strong and rugged. They seem like they know they’re way as a team. Even though Bokomon had barely known them, he had a strong sense of trust in the pit of his little belly. Perhaps it was some kind force of destiny that led him and Neemon to them.

Bokomon had a grand feeling that this Digidestined, were going to truly help them out with whatever evil lies ahead of them. But for now, Bokomon just prayed to whatever kind of higher being there is, that all of his dear children were far from harm.

Chapter Text

Kouji could tell how fast the day was already reaching its end by the vibrant colors of orange and yellow spread across the sky. Beautifully merging together in the atmosphere above him. The sunset scenery seemed like a painting that had come to life right before him. If this was any ordinary day, Kouji would consider it to be a nice way to end such a good day.

But today was not a good day. Today was by far from being close to good.

From being held as fugitives and not being able to Spirit-envolve, it seemed like whoever was writing this story, did not want the heroes to win. They enjoyed seeing him and his friends suffer. 

A few hours earlier, his friends spent most of their time brainstorming and attempting to convince or straight up lie to the IceKnightmon standing guard. JP tried acting as if he was choking and if he didn’t get CPR right away, he would die. But the thing about Digimon, they had never heard of the concept of CPR. So that didn’t work in JP’s favor.

Zoe somehow still had her beige handbag with her and was able to pick out a nail filer. Takuya was really excited when saw that filer as he attempted to see through the cage that held them. Takuya had high hopes that things were going to work in their favor, until the filer broke in half. It was even worse when the Iceknightmon heard the scratching of metal and took away the nail filter. 

Kouji didn’t want to openly admit it, but without their spirits, he felt useless.

He wanted to make himself useful somehow so he had begun to theorize about reasons why their Spirits wouldn’t answer them. Had the Digital World changed and evolved so much that the Digimon here, had forgotten about the Legendary Warriors themselves? Or maybe that this wasn’t the same Digital World as he adventures off to four years ago. Especially since JP had told them the IceKnightmon had never heard of Ophanimon. He had so many questions of their situation that he wondered if they were ever going to be an actual explanation. 

Kouji silently hissed as he felt the painful sting of headache upon him. His frustration was already getting to the best of him. Kouji stared down at his friends around him, who were napping peacefully. Even though they were lying on the most irritating and rocky cave floor Kouji ever laid his hands on. 

After their multiple attempts of escaping, Takuya advised they should rest and save their energy for whoever the IceKnightmon were planning to deliver them too. Kouji volunteered to keep watch while they rested. Kouji knew he should get some sleep with this headache, but there were too many troubles in his mind.  Early on, JP told his friends that the IceKnightmon seemed to serve someone named Mistress. Kouji would rather get killed now than deal with some Digimon with that kind of authority name. 

Behind him, he heard Takuya rustle in his sleep. Beginning to wake up from his slumber. 

“Kouji? You're still up, buddy?” Takuya mumbled.

Kouji nodded. “Yeah.”

Even though his arms were restrained, Takuya attempted to stretch. “Well how about you and I switch jobs. You look like you can use a nap.”

“I’m okay Takuya, go back to sleep.” Kouji huffed.

“I know that look of stress in your eyes Kouji…” Takuya said.

Kouji didn’t answer. He kinda hated how well one of his closest friends could easily see that something was bugging him.

“Are you thinking about Kouichi?” Takuya pestered.

Kouji signed heavily once more. Kouichi was the last person he wanted to think about it. “No, I’m trying not to remember him right now.”

“Huh, that's not like you Kouji.” Takuya perked up. “If Shinya was nowhere in my sight in the Digital World. I’d be losing my mind!”

“That's why I’m trying to avoid it. If I start thinking about Kouichi's whereabouts, I’ll end up blowing my head off.” Kouji sneered.

Takuya bopped the back of his head onto Kouji. “I think this is the last thing you want to hear, but Kouichi is smart and is pretty able to take care of himself. The IceKnightmon don’t seem to realize that one of our friends is missing from the group. So as long as he’s not a target, he should be completely safe.” 

Kouji knew Takuya was right about one thing, that Kouichi was completely able to take himself. He just wanted him to feel better. But Kouji couldn't help the uneasy feeling that was hanging below the pits of his stomach. He wanted to believe Kouichi was okay, he wanted to believe he was safe and then just maybe found a way to access the spirit of Lowemon. 

But as far as Kouji knew, this world was not kind to him and his friends. How can he be calm knowing his brother was god knows where. He tried his best to not constipate on the worst things that Kouichi could be facing right now. Kouji didn’t want to admit it but perhaps all of these anxiety he felt were possibly from the fact that the last time Kouichi was in the Digital World, he had nearly died. 

Even though it was four years ago, it was something that left a stain on Kouji’s life. It’s something he couldn’t forget even if he tried. 

“Earth to Kouji?” 

Kouji’s endless worries came to halt by the sound of Takuya’s voice.

“Sorry Takuya, I just have a lot on my mind.” Kouji admitted. 

“I can tell.” Takuya answered. “Like I said, you should listen to my request and take a nap. But before you do that, I want to ask you something.”

Kouji turned around to face Takuya. As he cleared his voice on that matter. “Since we were talking about Kouichi, I want to see if you remember something.”

Kouji nodded his head as Takuya continued. “I talked to Zoey about this but she had no memory about this whatsoever. But back when we were in the Trailmon station, you remember when that huge wave showed up. That drowned all of us?”

Kouji was surprised that Takuya even asked that certain question. How could he forget the strange event? “Of course I remember that. Why?” 

“If I remember correctly, Kouichi wasn't exactly there when we were taken.” Takuya professed.

Kouji narrows his eyes. “What are you talking about? He was there.”

Takuya shook his head. “Yeah but he went off somewhere. While we were all busy catching up with Bokomon, I heard him scream. It’s like he saw the danger before it succumbed to us.”

Takuya looks up to the skies above them before continuing. “But what I want to know is, what did Kouichi see? What did he see that made him leave to go off on his own? And the minute he screamed for our help, those crazy waves came. This can’t be a coincidence.” 

Kouji pondered for a moment because Takuya had made a good point. He felt kinda guilty that Takuya was able to detect Kouichi’s strange behavior rather than his own twin brother. They’re supposed to always look out for each other. Kouji wished he had paid more attention to Kouichi’s whereabouts then the situation at hand. 

“You’re right.” Kouji grunted. “How did I not see that? I should’ve kept a closer eye on him…”

“Hey don’t go blaming yourself. You can’t always be on the lookout for Kouichi.” Takuya answered. 

“But I'm his brother, it's my job!” Kouji yelled out.

“I get that!” Takuya yells back. “But you have to remember he can look out for himself and you’re not gonna be there for every moment of the day, Kouji.”

“And what about what you said about Shinya?” Kouji snaps back. 

“He’s thirteen!” Takuya retorts. “And unlike Shinya, Kouichi knows how to fend for himself in the Digital World!” 

Kouji sighed in exasperation. “I just don’t want to lose Kouichi again.”

“And you won’t!” Takuya explained, shifting himself around to face Kouji. “No matter what, we will always stick together. We’re a team. Nothing can break us apart.”

“But what if-”

“Stop worrying!” Takuya snaps. “Kouichi is at best out there with Bokomon and Neemon. I will bet you everything that he’s one hundred percent fine.” 

Kouji and Takuya stare at one another, as if waiting to see which one would break the silence first, but startling them both was an IceKnightmon banging his sword against the cage walls.

“Wake up, you puny humans!” The IceKnightmon hollers, continuing to hit the cage walls with his sword. 

By the loud clunk from IceKnightmon, the rest of Warriors were roused from their peaceful slumber. Kouji gritted his teeth, these IceKnightmon didn’t bother them for hours, why did they possibly want now?

“What’s going on?” Takuya shouted.

“Well, we’re about to-” One IceKnightmon begins, but he is swatted on the head by another IceKnightmon.

“We are not supposed to inform the captured humans, you idiot!” The IceKnightmon shouts. “Get ready for transport.”

“Er, right!” The IceKnightmon salutes and walks over to the cage.

Before any of the Warriors could attempt to protest, the IceKnightmon lifted up their cage on one end. Causing Kouji and his friends  to end up sliding to the front rear of the cage screaming as they were all crushed by one another.

“Please don’t take us away!” Tommy pleaded. 

“Can’t we talk about this?” Zoe cried out as well.

“You annoying humans have already talked enough!” The IceKnightmon that was holding up their cage yelled out.

“Shit shit!” Kouji cursed to himself. Their time was already up! 

A Third IceKnightmon came out from within the darkness of the forest and was riding on a white metallic carriage. Being held by two silver horses, who look similar in design to the IceKnightmon, but their eyes were swollen shut. Seeming as if they have no sense of consciousness whatsoever. 

All of the Warriors (minus Kouichi) look at each other in paniaked. Searching in one another for some sort of last minute answer or resolution to all their problems.

“Taky what do we do?” JP called out to Takuya. 

“We have to call out to our spirits!” Takuya answered. 

“But none of them are answering us like JP said!” Kouji stated

“We have to try! We need them now more than ever!” Takuya demanded. “It’s the least we can do.” 

Without another word, Takuya straightened himself out and sat criss cross. Beginning to meditate. 

The others, still in their doubts, proceeded to do the same. Bending their heads down in some sort of prayer. Kouji felt a bit paranoid on whether or not he should call out, due to the fact he feared his connection to the Legendary Warrior of Light had been served. 

But nonetheless, he had to try. Kouji inhaled in and out as he began to clear his mind. He had to forget about Kouichi, forget about the IceKnightmon, forget about them being fugitives at all. He needed to take his energy and focus towards Lobomon. He needed to find that light of the Warrior.

The sounds of the IceKnightmon arguing and their cage being placed into the carriage slowly faded away. The void filled with perfect silence as a small hum began to flow through Kouji’s mind. 

He wasn’t sure exactly what was happening but next he knew, he was standing in a bright room, with white walls surrounding him. There was no door, nor exit, just gray fog coming  from beyond him. He attempted to walk forward to see what this room was all about, but his body wouldn't move.

“What the-” Kouji grunted. 

“Kouji…” 

Kouji looked back up to see a tall and menacing shadow figure behind the fog. The fog seemed to bend down as its will as the mist parted ways to make room for the new character.

But to Kouji’s relief, it was no one new. But his old partner, Lobomon.

“It’s been far too long. It makes me happy to see you grown and thriving” The Legendary Warrior of Light told Kouji

“Lobomon… it’s you!” Kouji exclaimed. “Takuya was right! It did work!”

Kouji was really overjoyed to see Lobomon and that Lobomon remembered him. But reunions needed to be held later, as there was an important task at hand. 

“I’m happy to see you too, but I need your help. You gotta help me Spirit-Envolve. The IceKnightmom have captured my friends, and now they’re gonna send us off to some evil Digimon.”

“Of course I’ll aid you Kouji, but first I need you to listen to me. The Celestial Digimon, they-”

Before Lobomon could continue, something zapped through to the Warrior. He shrieked and fell to his knees in pain. Clutching into his stomach as his whole body seemed to quiver. 

“Lobomon!” Kouji cried out as whatever held him back, finally released, as he ran over the Warrior of Light. What’s wrong?”

“Kouji….” Lobomon struggled to talk as his whole configuration of his being began to glitch. “ You’re not…. here…”

“What? What are you saying?” Kouji attempted to grab his shoulder pads but his hands phased through the Digimon. He gasped by the no contact. Why couldn’t he touch him? 

“ Some kind of Digimon…. against our will… ” Lobomon struggled to explain as he began to shake much more violently.

“I don’t understand! What Digimon? Did he do something to you?” Kouji felt himself begin to tremble, he was helpless by the sight of his partner in pain.

“This isn’t right… Kendogarurumon isn’t even…” Lobomon whispered as the pain that was hurting ceased to stop. Causing Lobomon to fall onto his back

“What isn’t right? What’s wrong with Kendogarurumon?” Kouji cried out once more as he crawled over to face the Warrior of Light. 

He wasn’t sure exactly what he could do but he ended up doing something to help out Lobomon. But before Kouji could attempt to figure out some sort of strategy, the entire mindscape began to tremble and crumble. Kouji wasn't sure what was going on but something was pulling out of this space he had worked to reach. No he couldn't just leave. He needed to figure out what Lobomon was trying to tell him about. 

He needed to figure out what was going on, what happened to the Celestia Digimon and why his friends were dragged here! 

“ Kouji!”

Kouji looked down to face Lobomon once more, Despite wearing a mask, Kouji could see the weakness within his eyes. 

“Don’t speak, save your strength!” Kouji urged.

Lobomon lifted his arm slowly and somehow rested upon Kouji’s shoulder. “ You need to know, you can’t trust them…”

Kouji furrowed his eyebrows by the strange comment  “Trust who-” 

Nevertheless, everything has to come to an end eventually.  Kouji never got to finish his sentence as a white piece of concrete cracked from the ceiling and fell straight for his face. Awakening from his sudden out of body experience. He found himself back in the cage as all of his friends were facing towards something into the forest.

Before Kouji could ask what was happening, the IceKnightmon spoke. Not to them, but a newcomer.

“What’s the meaning of this?” One of the IceKnightmon demanded to know. 

Kouji whipped his head around to the voice. Who could it be? A brave digimon? Another ally of theirs? Or perhaps it was Lowemon coming to their rescue?

But it wasn’t.

Kouji was confused to see another teenager run in front of IceKnightmon. He had unruly reddish-brown hair that held a shiny pair of goggles above. He had tan skin, wearing a ripped and sleeveless baby blue jean jacket. Underneath a black t-shirt along with a pair of navy blue cargo shorts and black sneakers. He looks a little bit older compared to the rest of them. To Kouji’s surprise, a blue dinosaur like Digimon was clutched on his back. 

The boy then halted his hand up as a sign of protest. “Unhand them! Or face the wrath of the Digidestined!”

“Digidestined?” Davis heard one of the captured kids mutter.

“There are others like us?” A smaller boy said after.

Davis stood before the large digimon, bravely holding out a hand with a look of determination. Out of all the plans he could come up with, this might be his most impulsive one yet, but it didn’t matter anymore. He was here and he would make sure those kids came out for this safely. Sure the digimon holding them captive were pretty powerful, but he and Veemon could handle them. The IceKnightmon then dropped the large cage onto the ground, causing the kids inside to tumble around inside. Davis watched one turn to him with narrowed eyes. 

“We missed one? How did we miss one?”

“That doesn’t matter!” Another IceKnightmon shouts. “Get that human!”

The IceKnightmon, without a moment's hesitation, launched himself towards Davis. With luck on his side, he was smart and quick enough to dodge to the side. 

“You ready, Veemon?” Davis called out to his Digimon.

Veemon nodded as he jumped down from Davis’ back and stood himself in a fighting stance. “Yup!”

Before any of the IceKnightmon could react, Davis pulled out his Digivice. A huge flash of light shines from Veemon.

For a few seconds everyone in the room was blinded by the flash. And once the flash had gone away, Veemon had Digivolved.

Davis now saw Veemon, what was once a little guy was now a humanoid blue dragon. With white horn and x shaped symbol across his chest. 

“Get them X-Veemon!” He yelled out from behind. 

X-Veemon laughed and headed towards the two of the IceKnightmon and threw them across the floor. X-Veemon seemed to handle himself pretty well as he swerved and dodge his way around the IceKnightmon’s swords. With X-Veemon handling the Digimon, Davis ran to the cage.

“Hey you guys alright?” He called out once there.

“We’re way better now!” a blonde girl in the cage exclaimed. 

“Thanks for coming to help us buddy!” One boy with goggles grinned. “What’s your name?”

“The name’s Davis!” Davis pridefully answered. “But you can call me-”

“Is it true what you said? Are you Digidestined?” A smaller boy interrupted, clenching onto bars to get a good look at Davis.

“Wait a second, how did you know we were in trouble?” A more muscular boy asked as well. 

“Well I-” Davis began to explain before the last boy with dark hair intervened in the conversation. 

“Guys! We can talk later!” He snapped before he stared into Davis. “Get us out of here, now!”

The goggle headed boy knocked his elbow into the dark hair boy’s stomach. “Sorry about my friend here, he can be rude with new people. Please help us get out of this cage will ya?”

Davis nodded gleefully as he jumped upon the carriage that held them. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Davis inspected the cage and shook the bars of the cage to see how firm it was. It didn’t seem like the cage could be forced open by his bare hands, so Davis began to examine the carriage. Diverting his eyes for some sort of idea to help them break out. It wasn’t until Davis caught his attention that some metal boxes in the front of the carriage caused Davis's face to beam with excitement. 

They didn’t seem to be locked as Davis used the best of his ability to remove the lid. It slams onto the floor next to him as inside he finds a bunch of giant spears. Davis grins. Perfect!

He lifted up a spear that was twice his size. Davis seemed to have a pretty good handle on it until he unexpectedly dropped it. 

“Buddy you okay?” The goggled head shouted when he heard the spear clang.

Davis grunted in response as he felt his hands stinged. Seeing how easily the spear sliced up the palms of his hands, Davis realized he needed to be more careful under these circumstances.

As he wiped the fresh cut of blood upon his legs, Davis  picked up the spear on the correct send and lifted it behind his back. Ready to swing. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s free you kids!”

“Get back!” The goggle head ordered his friends as they all scooted to the back of the cage without a second of hesitation. 

It was troubling, trying to pick up the spear. Yet the moment he got a good grip upon the weapon, he swung that spear left and right across the cage. The scratching of the metal against metal caused friction at first but slowly and surely began to make a dent.

“Oh yeah! Now we’re getting somewhere!” Davis cheered

Unfortunately, their close stand to freedom was halted to abrupt stop as X-Veemon was  slammed onto the carriage. Causing the entire vehicle to collapse onto the concrete above them. The kids inside ended up crashing all over each other while Davis landed head first onto the ground. Despite almost gaining a concussion from the mighty fall, Davis was quick to get back on his feet and run to X-Veemon aid. 

“X-Veemon! Are you alright?” Davis cried.

X-Veemon shot Davis a weak smile. “Sorry Davis, these guys took a lot out of me…” 

Before Davis could respond, he spotted in his line of vision the two IceKnightmon, standing over Davis and his injured partner.  They were pretty scratched up but they weren’t even close to being bruised as Veemon. 

“Ignorant human! Risking your life for another, you will meet ultimate demise!” The IceKnightmon declared as he raised his sword once more. But this time, his sword formed a power surge and aimed the attack towards the boy. 

“Davis!” The goggled head yelled out in fear. 

As Davis stood in fear to meet his end, until Angemon appeared and blocked the surge with his staff. 

“Angemon! Right on time!” Davis cheered to see Digimon. 

Angemon nodded in agreement as then Aquilamon, Nertifamon, and Digmon followed right behind the angel Digimon. Commencing their stance to Iceknightmon as new opponents added to the battle. 

“Davis!” Shouted TK from afar as he was reunited with all of his Digidestined friends.

“You lucky Angemon saved your ass before those Digimon almost destroyed you!” TK yelled, pissed. 

Davis slipped on a sheepish grin, knowing he should've listened to TK before running ahead like the selfless leader he is.

“More humans?” One of the IceKnightmon frantically shouted. 

“And even more Digimon! Maybe we should get out of here while we still can?” The IceKnightmon whined to his fellow colleague.

“You fools! We have duties to follow and those duties shall be fulfilled!” The main IceKnighmon shouted in pride as pulled out his sword once more. Enhancing the battle to begin once more. 

Angemon flew to the side as he allowed Aqualimon to claw her hands into the IceKnightmon’s helmet, dragging across the forest. Nefertimon flew up into the sky, getting a good view of the battle scene below, so she aimed her rosetta stones repeatedly at the scanner IceKnghtmon below. He winced and cried in cowardness as the Rosetta Stones overwhelmed him and his armored suit. 

The main IceKnightmon attempted to stab Angemon on multiple occasions but failed miserably. As Angemon was able to swiftly fly around such attacks. He could help but wince in pain as the IceKnightmon’s sword ended slicing off multiple feathers off of Angemon’s wings. 

As Yolei, TK, and Kari’s Digimon were preoccupied with the IceKnightmon, all of Davis’s Digidestined and Digmon caught Davis and the situation at hand.

“Bokomon! Neemon!” The goggle head boy cheered seeing his companions.

“Ah! So you guys were the ones that got help!” The muscular boy said. 

Bokomon clutched onto the cage as if it was the last he was ever gonna see his human friends “Oh kids… I thought for sure this would end badly! I was in such despair thinking-”

“Bokomon I know you’re delighted to see your friends but let's free them first.” Cody interrupted. He looked over Digmon and asked “You think you can get outta this cage Digmon?” 

Digmon nodded delightedly as he began to spin erratically, “Leave everything to me!” 

Digmon made his way over to the already dent that Davis had created and began drilling away. 

While Digmon was drilling away, it seemed Angemon, Aquilamon and Netratimon were winning and on their way of ending the fight against the IceKnightmon. The Icekngihtmon fighting Angemon, had managed to silched multiple feathers off of Angemon wings. Causing him to fight on his feet rather than up in the air. IceKnightmon threw some icelies at the winged Digimon but missed greatly. Despite dodging swiftly Angemon was his limit when it came to his strength. He needed to finish off his opponent quickly and swiftly.While the IceKnightmon was charging up his sword for another attack, Angemon realized his Hand of Fate. Almost completely demolished the IceKnightmon but instead of becoming data pieces, the AxeKnightmon de-digivolve into a Blue like Agumon. 

Following Angemon, Nefertimon had slammed her into the area right next to the BlueAgumon, de digivolving as well. 

Both Blue Agumon opened their eyes, looked over to another and screamed in fear of what they had become. 

“IceAgumon! You de-digivolve!” The first IceAgumon pleaded to his companion.

The second IceAgumon gasped “You’ve de-digivolve too!” 

Within sync they both screamed. “We both de-digivolved!” 

Within a matter of seconds the IceAgumon quickly sprinted around the Champion- level Digimon. Climbing into the carriage while Digimon was currently removing the blonde’s girl’s metal ropes off. Both IceAgumon jumped onto the front seats of the carriage, whipped their horses and cried out in fear, “Retreat! Retreat!”

“Huh, they acted all tough and mean and now look at them go…” The blonde commented as she watched. 

“Now I call that good karma!” Yolei commented.

Before Davis could join in the new conversation, The last IceKnightmon standing yelled. “I can’t believe those idiots that are my colleagues! Bunch of sissies! I am the royal knight of Mistress and I should just take it all out myself!” 

“Go ahead and try IceKnightmon.” TK answered back. 

“Yeah! Tell us when you’re ready to fight 4 on 1!” Davis beamed as Veemon and the three Digimon stood in front of them. Ready for more. 

The IceKnightmon gazed upon the opponents in front of him. He growled angrily, knowing well enough he already lost. “A real Knight knows when it’s time to accept defeat. This isn’t over Digidestined.”

And without another word, the IceKnightmon pulled back his sword, clicked something upon his wrist and whisked away up in the air. All of the Digimon, the Digidestined and new kids ran over to see where IceKnightmon had gone. But to their surprise, he had completely vanished into thin air. 

“Is the fight over?” Neemon asked.

“Yeah Neemon. It is definitely over!” The other gogglehead boy smiled as he patted Neemon. 

“You and Bokomon were brave for getting help. But I really gotta thank you guys.” The Gogglehead boy said as he turned over to Davis and his friends. 

“Yeah! Without you fellas, all of us would have been toast!” The muscular boy pipped in.

“All in a day's work as Digidestined!” Davis cheered.   

Miles away from the Digidestined, a frustrated IceKnightmon and two of the Ice Agumon’s rode on their little carriage into the middle of nowhere. Eventually screeched to a stop, climbed and made their way over to the tallest tree. 

The IceKnightmon knocked into the wood, three times. Until a whimsical violet mirror-shaped portal appeared. No particular face was shown to the IceKnightmon and the IceAgumons. But the voice was already all too familiar with them. 

“IceKnightmon! Do you know how rude it is to summon me without any formal appointment? You are aware of I have important matters at hand!” Mistress shrieked at her minions. 

“You better have something good to inform me about…”

“Mistress, before you try to attack once more, we must confess ourselves….”

“So then confess!” Mistress snapped at the IceKnightmon.

IceKnightmon all bowed their heads in shame. “More Digidestined freed and helped the fugitives. We were not able to follow their whereabouts.”

Mistress held her silence, taking in carefully to what these IceKnighttmon informed her. 

But the IceKnightmon could not hold his silence. “Please Mistress! Have mercy on us! We will send scouts! Will we from dusk to dawn to-”

“Enough.” Mistress demanded, Despite her only seeing her red eyes from afar, they watched her beam with delight. “There will be no need for that. You soldiers have completed your duties.” 

All three Iceknightmon looked at each other in disbelief. The second IceKnightmon stood up from kneeling. “We don’t seem to understand how we completed our duties, the fugitives got away.”

“I am aware of that. And now the other Digidestined have found them, everything is going as planned.” Mistress laughed deviously. 

Before the IceKnightmon could ask more questions, Mistresses clapped. “Our time has come to an end. Return to your posts and await orders. 

“Mistress I know that your plans must be kept secret, but what is so good about the Digidestined being left on their own?” The IceKnightmon questioned.

Mistress sat in silence for a moment before howling in laughter. “Because the boss will be pleased to hear that Phase 1 is complete.” 

Chapter Text

Being the Warrior of Darkness, Kouichi had always felt inner peace with himself whenever the sun went down and the sky became dark. Even when he had separated from  Spirits of Darkness four years ago, that connection to such dark nature carried on with him. 

During his hangouts with the rest of the Warriors, Kouichi noticed how often panicked and saddened his friends were when the sun went down. Takuya and Tommy would whirl up in frenzy as they realized they had stayed put longer than said curfew. JP got paranoid and Zoe was what she called the “heebie-jeebies” whenever she couldn’t see three feet ahead of her. Finally, Kouji being the grumpy Warrior of Light, he was already headed home and sleeping. 

But Kouichi? He never changed. Never worried or scared like the rest of friends, honestly he would get bummed by their reactions. 

Currently, he still had some concerns on whether or not his brother and his friends were alright. But the Digital World’s crisp and cold winds and twilight like sky had settled down his nerves. 

Unfortunately though, such nature of the Digital World, couldn’t make him relaxed about the person laying right in front of him. Ken Ichijouji, that's what the Digimon named Wormmon said his name is. 

A couple hours ago, Kouichi had awoken by the sounds of splashing. At first, he had thought he was in the middle of the ocean or sewer because of how he got here in the first place. But instead, woke to find himself near a glossy river. Unlike an ordinary river that glistened under the sun’s reflection, this river looked like it was covered in smooth glitter and sprinkles. 

Despite such a cute design, Kouichi ended up seeing Wormmon struggling to stay afloat. Crying for any sort of help. Quickly, Kouichi skidded towards the green caterpillar and pulled him out of the trenches of water. Wormmon was relieved as they got talking, Wormmon mentioned how he wanted to find Ken as soon as possible, but it would take him forever to get around on his little feet. 

Kouichi understood Wormmon and offered his help. Wormmon didn’t want to ask more favors from Kouichi but as soon as he Spirit-Evolved into Lowemon, Wormmon didn’t argue any longer.

Too busy having his jaw dropped at a human becoming a Digimon. 

Within an hour they were able to locate Ken, no more than bleeding heavily from an ugly gash on his leg. Wormmon tried desperately to awaken Ken, but he had long passed out from the pain. Lwemon was fast to pick Wormmon’s injured partner and race off to a safer area.

More time has passed, the more Lowemon has grown tired of carrying Ken and Wormmon around. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t keep his form of Lowemon for much longer. 

Eventually, Kouichi had dragged Ken and Wormmon to the river where Kouichi had found him. With the help of Wormmon, they both began gathering a pile of leaves for Ken to lay on. During this process, Wormmon couldn’t help but consciously praised Kouichi left and right for his selflessness for Ken. Kouichi thanked Digimon compliments in a shy manner. Merely saying it’s what any Digidestined would do.

With some wet leaves dapped onto Ken’s leg, Wormmon laid against Ken's neck, deciding to take a restful nap. And since then, Kouichi has been silently pondering his situation at the moment. Waiting for Ken to awake and trying to figure out his next plan of action. 

Kouichi didn’t know Ken that well but he was very unsettled by his severe injury. Despite Ken wrapped a piece of his sweater around the wound, blood was still smearing and soaking through the piece of cloth. Kouichi wasn’t sure how much blood Ken had lost but he needed to think of a way to help him from his injury getting much worse. 

“Oh Ken! I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up anytime soon!”

Kouichi was deep into his thoughts before it was interrupted by the cries of Wormmon. Who was in happy tears from seeing Ken awaken from his unconsciousness. 

Ken was a little pale and was very exhausted from the pain. But he didn’t want his partner to be a worry-wart. “Aw don’t cry Wormmon, I’m here now..” Ken softly smiled. 

As he petted his Wormmon, Ken glazed up and met eyes with the new person that is Kouichi. 

Even though Kouichi had literally brought Ken to safety, Kouichi couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward and nervous around another teen. He gave an awkward smile and wave. 

“Ken! How could I forget?” Wormmon chirped up. “This is Kouichi! He saved me from drowning and helped me find you!”

“He saved you from drowning?” Ken asked as Wormmon gave a nod in response. 

Ken turned back to Kouichi with a heartfelt grin. “Thank you for helping my partner out. I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t there.” 

“No need to thank me,” Kouichi said as he walked over towards Ken. “I would have done it-”

Kouichi was not even able to finish his sentence as a tinging yet sharp sensation passed through his chest and his head. Grunting, Kouichi fell to his knees as the strange pinching feeling became more and more intense as he was staring at Ken. Ken and Wormmon cried, asking if he was okay, but his hearing was all muffled. All Kouichi could sense was an abnormal aura around Ken. As well as unusual glimpses of what he believed were Ken. 

“What is going on? What‘s happening to me? Make it stop!” Kouichi pondered in fear as he gripped the sides of his hair

As fast as someone could snap their fingers, Kouichi’s short episode had finally stopped. He was breathing heavily, scared and confused by whatever had just happened. 

“Hey are you okay? Is something hurting you?” Ken asked in concern. He attempted to stand up but was quickly reminded of the injury that prevented him. 

“You don’t need to get up! Please rest.” Kouichi tried to reassure. 

Wormmon’s eyes were filled with worry once more. “Kouichi what happened?”

Kouichi wasn't even sure how to explain what just happened. But he didn’t want his first impression to Ken to see him as some kind of weirdo. 

“I think I just have a bad headache…” Kouichi answered. 

“Like a migraine?” Ken asked. 

“Yeah, something like that.” Kouichi lied. “Anyway I think it'll just be a long day for all of us.”

Kouichi wasn't sure if Ken believed what he said but agreed. “Yeah you’re right, it has been a crazy day.”

“How’s your leg?” Kouichi looked down at Ken’s bloodied leg once more.

Ken lips formed a frown. “It still stings, but it feels a bit better than before.”

“I never asked,” The Warrior of Darkness looked upon Ken once more. “How did this happen?” 

“The tree’s crystals had stabbed through my leg when I landed here.” Ken answers grimly as he looks at the shiny forest surrounding them. “I managed to get one of them out. But the pain must’ve made me passed out.” 

“Landed? How did you get-” Kouichi began to ask before shaking his head. “Sorry I’ve been asking too many questions. Let’s focus on trying to get you some help.”

Ken softly laughed. “It’s alright, I have a lot of questions too. We should get going, I don’t think it’s safe to stay in the forest so late at night. 

Kouichi nodded in agreement as he watched Ken try to stand once more. He was able to get one knee but move anymore than that. 

“Ken! Be careful!” Wormmon begged. 

“Don’t worry Wormmon, '' Kouichi said as he kneeled closer to Ken. Extending his arms to him. “Here, I grabbed onto my shoulders. I’ll help you.”

Finally, Ken managed to stand up thanks to Kouichi physically supporting him. 

“I don’t think I properly introduce myself yet,” Kouichi started to say as they began to walk together. “I’m Kouichi Kimura.” 

“Nice to meet you, you already know I’m Ken from Wormmon. But my full name is Ken Ichijouji.” Ken replied. He was limping but was able to walk somewhat normally. 

“How long have you been in the Digital World?”

“I think I landed here sometime in the morning. I was having a picnic with my brother and my friends before getting dragged here.” Kouichi said. 

“I was at a party with my friends before ending up here. What dragged you here? Was it a hurricane?” Ken softly chuckled.

“Hurricane? Something like that. It’s was the ocean itself swallowed us whole.” 

“Sounds like the same thing I went through. What beach were you at?” 

“Beach? I was in Trailmon Station.”

“Trailmon? I don’t think I’ve heard of such a Digimon” 

“Really?” Kouichi answered. It seems like Ken and him were somehow connected by whatever force brought them here. But what surprised him the most was how he never heard of Trailmon. “Trailmon is the transportation of the Digital World.” 

“I don’t think Traimon is within my Digimon knowledge.” Wormmon added on.

“Me either.” Ken agreed. “But it sounds like you’ve been to the Digital World before Kouichi. Are you Digidestined like me?” 

“Yes I am.” Kouichi answered. 

Ken eyebrows furrowed as his eyes searched around Kouichi. “Is your partner Digimon missing?”

“No, I-” 

“Ken! Kouichi!” Wormmon interrupted as his antennas were high in the air. “I hear something.”

Without another word, Wormmon immediately scurried away towards the sound. 

“Wait, Wormmon!”

Despite his small legs, Wormmon was quick on his feet to get Ken the help he needed. Despite walking at slow speed at first, Kouichi both speeded his walk alongside Ken to follow after Wormmon. The closer the two Digidestined got, the more the sound started to sound like an engine. Like a vehicle engine. 

Before they called out Wormmon on his whereabouts, they heard Wormmon loudly shrieking. 

“Wormmon!” Ken cried as both raven haired boys skidded towards the captiller’s voice. Finding him laying on his back, rolling back and forth in an attempt to get back on his feet. 

From the looks of it, it seems that the vehicle had run over Wormmon. Kouichi couldn’t tell what kind of vehicle it was by the bright car lights that blinded them. Especially by how dark their environment had become. 

Still blinded by the light, a figure had stepped out. Kouichi wasn’t sure what kind of Digimon was coming out but he was ready to take any action. He seemed like the longest minute before an ambiguous dog like Digimon appeared and gasped. 

“Oh no… I’ve killed another one.” 

Immediately the dog, like Digimon, picked up Wormmon and set upon his feet. “Ah! Thank goddess you’re alive. I’m extremely sorry if i hit you little guy! Please don’t sue me! I know you want to do that more than anything but please show mercy! My Digi-Insurance won’t cover for me anymore and-”

“No it’s my fault, I didn’t look where I was going.” Wormmon affirmed before seeing Ken and Kouichi again. “I’m okay Ken!” 

“Oh thank god.” Ken sighed in relief. 

The dog, like Digimon, turned off the car lights and dropped his jaw at the sight of Ken and Kouichi. “Humans! I haven’t seen humans in so long! Nice to meet you all! The name’s Yakmon!"

Now the lights were off, both boys could see what kind of Digimon Yakmon was. Yakmon was like a cartoon character pulled out from the TV. Being a few inches shorter than any average human, Yakmon had long black fur with white fur upon his face, hands and paws. He had black eyes and black cherry nose. As well as black antenna shaped ears. Like a cartoon character, Yakmon stood on two feet, wearing a tan shirt with burgundy overalls. 

Compared to the other Digimon, Yakmon had the most friendly face and smile. Kouichi couldn’t even imagine if he even fought like other Digimon. He didn’t even know Digimon could drive.

“It’s good to meet a Digimon from around here.” Ken grinned. “I’m Ken, this is Kouichi and that’s Wormmon.” 

“You’re a Wormmon? I thought your kind went extinct!” Yakmon gasped. “I gotta take a picture of you! It’ll sell millions!” 

Out of nowhere Yakmon pulled out a huge digital camera and began snapping pics of Wormmon like crazy. “Oh yeah Wormmon! Show them you're on the good side! Pose! Pose! Loving it!” 

Kouichi and Ken both glanced at each other, attempting to hold back their laughter.

“Is it just me or does Yakmon feel like a Looney Tunes character?” Kouichi snickered.

“I was thinking the exact same thing.” Ken chuckled before he hissed in pain.

“Oh right,” Kouichi had almost forgotten Ken’s wound. He turned to Yakmon. “Excuse me, Yakmon?”

Yakmon put his camera away as Wormmon's eyes were dazed by the multiple flashes. “Listen Kouichi, if you’re asking for a cut on Wormmon’s pictures. It’s a no.”

Kouichi shook his head, “Yakmon, can you give us a ride? Ken here is badly injured and needs some medical help.”

“Holy mon! That does look bad!” Yakmon said before skidding and opening the back door for them. “Get in humans! I’m gonna get you help!”

Kouichi walked Ken over and assisted him to the backseat of the Yakmon’s buggy. Kouichi then grabbed Wormmon and sat in the front seat next to Yakmon. Soon enough Yakmon started the car and drove away.

Kouichi wasn’t going to lie, it felt good to finally sit in the car after endlessly walking the entire day. Ken seemed to see eye to eye with Kouichi as he laid on his side and rested his eyes in the backseat. 

“Thanks for your kindness, Yakmon,” Kouichi said. 

“Anytime Keith!” Yakmon beamed 

“I’m Kouichi.” Kouichi corrected. 

“Ah Kouichi!” Yakmon repeated. “Say what happened to your friend Ken?”

“Those horrible tree crystals stabbed him.” Wormmon said.

“Ugh! I hate the trees over here in Celestial Heavens. I lost my cousin because of them.” Yakmon said.

Kouichi frowned. “Oh I’m so sorry.” 

“Why are you sorry? He didn’t die. Cousin Isamon said he was in love with one of those trees. I called him crazy and Isamon was so mad that he took said tree and ran away to get married.”

“Oh…” was all Kouichi could say. What kind of Digimon was Yakmon?

“Damn Digimon didn’t even say goodbye!” Yakmon continued. “Anyway, I haven’t seen humans like you for a long time. What made you and Kenny boy come back to the Digital World?”

“We didn’t have a choice. It’s a long story Yakmon, but me and Ken were brought here against our will. It probably has to do with us being Digidestined in all.”

“Digidestined! I should’ve known you two were Digidestined!” Yakmon squealed. “Most folks around here think Digidestined or Chosen Children were just legends!”

“Legends?” Kouichi grinned. He didn’t want to be prideful but it sounds nice hearing that he and the other Warriors are so called “legends”. 

Huh. Yakmon said the place they were in was called Celestial Heavens. Kouichi never remembered an area in the Digital World with that name. 

Unless… this wasn’t the same Digital World. 

“Home sweet home!” Yakmon cheered as he pulled the buggy in front of a corner store. It had large windows showing the dark inside of the store. As far as Kouichi could see, the store was packed with stuff and the only light source came from a huge neon sign sporting a larger version of Yakmon’s face. Along with the name “Yak’s" on it in bold red, neon lights. 

Kouichi had a sense of relief seeing a convenience store after only seeing hundreds of trees for miles and miles. Once the buggy has come to a complete stop, he gets out of the buggy and goes around to help Ken out of the car.

“Here, let me help.” Kouichi said to Ken as he grabbed Ken by the arm and pulled him up to his feet, letting Ken use him to walk.

“Thanks.” Ken winced as he got to his feet, but with Kouichi’s help they managed to start walking towards the convenience store. “

“I’ll get the door opened up in a jiffy!” Yakmon says as he got out of the buggy and went up to the store door. He reaches into the front pocket of his overalls and pulls out a large set of keys on a ring. “Now to just find the right key…”

“That’s an awful lot of keys there, Yakmon.” Wormmon says, as he settles on Kouichi’s shoulder.

“Oh don’t worry! I have a system!” Yakmon says proudly as he begins to inspect every single key.

Kouichi stares at Yakmon as the digimon mutters to himself and flips one key to the other end of the key ring before moving onto the next key. He sighs and had a feeling this would take long, so he helped Ken over to the side wall of the store. 

“Let’s sit down here.” Kouichi says as he helps Ken sit. Once Ken was situated, Kouichi joined him on the ground. And Wormmon jumped down from his shoulders to be in Ken’s lap. Ken smiles at the digimon and pats his head. Ken then looks at Kouichi.

“I want to thank you again for saving me and Wormmon.” Ken said. 

“It’s what any good person would do.” Koichi said, giving Ken a weak smile.

“You must be exhausted from carrying me by yourself all day.” Ken noted.

“Well I had some help,” Kouichi sheepishly replied as he pulled his D-Tector from his pocket. Showing it to Ken.

“I’m sorry. I’m just a bit confused.” Ken began as he took his eyes away from the D-Tector. “How can you have a Digivice without a partner?”

Kouichi rubbed the back of head. “Well I do have a partner, it’s just very different from what you have with Wormmon.”

Kouichi twiddled his hands between his D-Tector. He wanted to tell Ken, but Kouichi felt the anxiety build up as he attempted to find the next set of words to say.

Aside from Wormmon, only Kouji and their friends shared the secret of possessing the Spirits of the 10 Legendary Warriors. But was it really secret if nobody would believe that you consider yourself part Digimon?

Kouichi remembered how a few years ago, Takuya almost confessed to Shinya about the Digital World. Shinya had been overhearing Takuya’s conversations with the group and demanded to know what secrets Takuya was hiding from his brother. Like any other older brother, Takuya yelled at Shinya to mind his own business. But as Shinya kept pestering and pestering Takuya, it led Takuya to blurt out about being part Digimon. Before Takuya could explain himself further, Shinya laughed it off. Joking that the fantasy books Takuya read were frying his brain. 

Takuya said that after that, Shinya never bothered him with personal questions. Takuya admitted he wished that maybe once Shinya got older, he could tell him the truth. After all, they were brothers. And after their adventures in the Digital World, Takuya wanted to have closer relationships with Shinya.

But Kouichi’s situation was completely different. He had only known Ken for a day, and half of that time, he was unconscious. He wanted to trust Ken and get to know him. He seemed like a pretty honest person, but Kouichi didn’t know how he was gonna react. 

“Kouichi? You got quiet for a bit there.” Ken told Kouichi, snapping him out of thoughts. 

Kouchi waved his hand in embarrassment “Sorry but-”

Before Kouichi finished, Ken had placed his hand upon his shoulder. “Listen, if you don’t want to explain yourself, that's okay. I won’t pressure you.” 

Kouichi smiles. “Thanks for understanding-”

A loud crash of glass can be heard and both of them snap their heads towards the source.

“I got it open!” Yakmon said cheerfully as he had his hand through the broken window of the store door and twisted the door handle open from the other side. 

Wormmon pales a bit. “What happened to the key?”

“Oh I gave up on that!” Yakmon laughs and tries pulling his arm out, only for it to fall off from his body as he turns to them.

Wormmon pales more and falls back in a faint. Ken grabbed him while still sitting down. “Wormmon!”

Kouichi gasps at this. “Your arm!”

“What?” Yakmon finally notices the state of his arm and pouts. “Oh, this is normal! It’s one of my powers!”

“Wait, what?” Kouichi asks, confused.

“Oh yeah, we never had a title card sequence for me, did we?” Yakmon says with a grin. “Well I’m a Yakmon, a champion level data digimon! My powers include Limb Removal and Drawing Attacks!”

Kouichi looks at Ken. “You are right, he is like a Loony Tune.”

Once Yakmon replaces his arm back into its socket and holds the door open for them, Kouichi helps Ken up and in through the doorway, minding the broken glass that now scattered the ground of the entrance. The inside of the convenience store was pretty large for a store, despite its smaller appearance from the front. Right away Kouichi was met with the fresh cool air of the inside. Lights flickered on and the shelves of the convenience store goods lined up before them. Board Games, snacks and drinks were everywhere. Nearby stood a counter with a register and some on display goodies. Far in the back of the store were a few refrigerators with frozen foods and near that was a slushy machine illuminating some wacky colors of its commercially sold drinks. 

As Kouichi helped Ken to sit up on the counter, Yakmon motions over Ken and Kouichi over a historical painting of an older looking Yakmon. Taking down the painting, reveal a gray safe box within the wall. Yakmon begins spinning the dial of the combination lock. But after two failed attempts, Yakmon pulls out a hammer from behind his back and smashes the safe box open. 

“It’s alright, I can ask the bank for a refund!” Yakmon smiles over to two raven-haired boys. He yanks the safe box door away, and pulls out a shimmery pouch. 

Yakmon opens the shimmer punch for Ken and Kouichi to see tiny multicolored crystals. Glistening against the store’s bright lights. 

“Heh. Are you planning to do some witchcraft on us Yakmon?” Kouichi chuckled.

“Nah! These, my dear customers, are D-Crystals!” Yakmon chirps. “Pop one of these in your mouth and it will heal that nasty wound upon Kenny!” 

Ken seemed hesitant to even pick one up. But as he winced once more from the pain, he pushed his fear inside and quickly threw one into his mouth. It was silent for a few moments as everyone inspected Ken for a reaction towards D-Crystal. Kouichi couldn’t help but bite his lip at the thought of even attempting to eat a rock hard crystal, let alone a small one. 

Once Ken swallowed it, he squinted his eyes closed, afraid of the outcome. He looked upon his leg’s ugly gash, “Yakmon, I don’t feel any different. Does it even work on humans- AH!”

Suddenly, the skin upon Ken’s gash began to find their way back together. As if someone was sewing up a tear upon a pair of jeans. There should've been a scar to mark from the gash. But Ken’s right leg had been wiped clean, as if the entire wound had never happened. 

Ken’s eyes were wide in disbelief at the sight of this new healing. He slowly moved his leg up and down, before sliding off the counter. Finding himself perfectly stable enough to stand on two feet again. 

“I can’t believe it… it worked.” Ken grinned at Kouichi and Wormmon. “I’m not in pain anymore!”

“Oh thank god.” Kouichi sighed in relief as he grabbed onto Wormmon before the digimon could faint once more. “We owe you Yakmon.”

“Anytime kiddos!” Yakmon chirped as he set aside a glimmer pouch and began sweeping.  “Anything else I can do for you? You want some refreshments? Chips? Pirated DvDs?”

Ken and Kouichi glance at each other, nodding as if they had the same questions to ask.

“Well,” Kouichi began, “You said you knew about us. That you knew you were Digidestined?”

“Of course! How could I not?” Yakmon then pointed at Ken. “You were the famous Digimon Emperor!”

Ken almost lost his balance by that certain phrase. The same way he was uncertain about telling Ken he was part Digimon, Ken seemed to have the same uneasy look in his eyes. Seemed like Ken had some secrets too.

“Well more like the infamous Digimon Emperor, cause none of these mon liked you. But at least you paid your dues!” Yakmon comforted Ken.

“Yeah…” Ken began before changing the topic. “Tell me Yakmon, what has become of the Digital World? This forest, Celestial Heavens? Everything seems different.” 

“Well..” Yakmon began as he set aside his broom. “You Digidestined have been gone for a very long time.”

“How long?” Kouichi asked.

Yakmon fumbled with his gloves. “I believe-” 

A knock was heard upon the window. Everyone turned their heads to see a larger shadow figure, standing outside Yakmon’s shop.

“Oh no!” Yakmon shrieked. “It’s the IceKnightmon!”

“Who is-'' Before Ken could ever ask who, Yakmon pulled out a storage locker with a large peeping hole behind the register. He then pushed Ken and Kouichi into the inside of the locker and slammed it closed. 

“Yakmon?” Ken yelled out. “What are you hiding from us?”

“They’re here to collect my Digi-tax!” Yakmon began to explain, as he opened the locker once more to put Wormmon with them. Before slamming it closed once more. “Which I don't have!”

Kouichi pushed his way to the front of the locker. “But wait-” 

“There is no time! If the IceKnightmon finds you kiddos, who knows what will happen. ” Yakmon sighed before pulling out the shotgun and reloads it. “A Yakmon gotta do, what a Yakmon gotta do…”

“Is he crazy?” Wormmon squealed in fear, peeking into large peephole

“I think we already know the answer to that.” Kouichi answered as he put his eye towards the peephole.

“We can’t stay here and hide. He’s going to get himself hurt.” Ken gritted as he pushed Kouichi aside and attempted to budge to keep the door open. 

“Nothing's happening!” Wormmon cried. 

“Wormmon, you gotta Digivolve!” Ken said, looking over to his partner.

Wormmon nodded and began to clenched his entire little body. He grunted. “I can’t Ken. I haven’t eaten at all today.”

Ken clenched his teeth “Argh… there must be something we can do.”

Kouichi began to feel his hands tremble a little bit before grabbing onto his D-Tector. “There is.” 

A scream could be heard from the outside, meaning that Yakmon needed their help. Now more than ever. 

Kouichi raised his D-Tector in the air, as a bright Data ring appeared around his other hand. “Spirit-”

Suddenly Yakmon’s scream came once again, but of joy.

“Customers!” 

Chapter Text

So I'm stiil here. STILL ALIVE. It's just that I think I got the fanfic writer curse. 

After posting the last chapter, my college entire staff went on strike. Thus making me do all my assignments and work from home. It basically messed up my mental health for a while. AGAIN

(It was like doing online school during the pandemic all over again)

But I'm back on feet and taking a break from college. Which should leave more time to write... right??

Unfortunately no.

For being a somewhat indeterminate writer, sometimes this fic feels much easier planning it. Rather than actually writing it.

I've looked over some chapters from last year and cut out some parts. Because I wasn't satisfied with the certain scenes and the way I felt it was poorly written.

And a part of me, wants to straight up start over?? Like the idea of making into a comic seems easier and more compelling for me.

Because I'm a much stronger artist than a writer.

(one thing holding me back is being a digimon fan and not being able to draw DiGIMON monsters themselves XD)

I know to some of you, this is such a silly fanfic. But for me, this is my love letter to Digimon. This is a story i want to share and that is deeply to my heart. 

Sorry if I sound over dramatic but it's the truth. And I didn't want to my leave you readers in the dark

So for right now, updates will be slow. As I try to reflect on the next course of this fanfic.

You can find me over at my tumblr (0sourpancakes0) and tiktok (@6pancakes6) Where I post a consistent amount of digimon content.