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Chapter Text

Chapter One

The thing about data is that it can be rewritten. Whatever the goal, whatever the desired effect, it can be written into the code and brought to life. One simply has to know how to access it.

It's not difficult really. The data isn't hidden in any capacity. In fact, it is everywhere, in every aspect of the world. Every tiny leaf, every breath of wind, every crevice and crack in the earth—it's all just data, written and stacked in a certain way to build what needs to be built. A touch here, a change there, and the data reforms into something new.

A new body, perhaps...

Yes, this would do nicely, at least for the time being. It was a physical form, and that was the first step for now. Fists clenched and muscles stretched. Lungs raggedly pulled in air, only barely remembering how. It had been far too long.

Eyes finally opened, to be met with only darkness. A jagged sneer caught the corner of a fanged mouth, twisting it upward. Vague memories began to resurface—memories of long, hard battles and unimaginable power. The smile quickly turned to a frown.

This body was weak.

No matter. It could be rewritten, as with all things. The data simply needed to be accessed and reworked.

A hand reached out, feeling its way through the darkness and searching. Ah, there it was—a tiny flicker of code. It rippled and swirled around itself, twisting and turning every which way. All it needed was a little nudge in the right direction and...

PAIN. UNIMAGINABLE PAIN.

With a rush, the data forced its way around this new body. It was as if it were engulfed in—what was that burning?—fire. It remembered fire well. Awash with pain, it crumpled and fell.

Slowly, the agony eased. Something was different...wrong... No, it wasn't wrong. There was a new strength now, something this body had never felt before. It coursed through its newfound home, pulsing and raging. The lips curled into a smile once more, and the smile quickly became laughter. It built into a deep, booming sound, which echoed in the darkness and filled the spaces in the silence.

"More..." growled a sharp voice. "More..."

Standing, and with renewed vigor, the laughter ceased. It was time, and there was a way now. With this newfound strength, the battle between good and evil would finally be finished. With a twisted grin and a fist shrouded in Dark energy, a hole opened in the remaining data. For the first time in a very long time, Vamdemon stepped out into the Digital World once more.

Night—the perfect time. He breathed deeply of the chill air and rekindled his senses. Sight, sound, feeling—it all came back so quickly, and yet it all seemed so new. Rejuvenated, he looked up at the moon.

There were three of them. This confused him; it had been a long time, certainly, but long enough for the Digital World to pull two more moons into its gravity? Well, that was a question for another time. He had things to do.

Before he could take a single step, a bright light flooded his senses. It burned his eyes and made his skin feel as though it had been doused in acid. There was only one possible source for this kind of Light—one of the Holy Digimon.

A deep voice bellowed out from the midst of it. "Trespasser! You are unwelcome here!"

Vamdemon chuckled to himself. Oh, when would they learn? "I tread where I please," he stated simply. "Those who would stop me will meet their end at my hand."

"You will be exterminated." The light dimmed to reveal a glowing white Cherubimon. Vamdemon smirked. His power must still be incredible for him to be greeted so quickly by one of the most powerful Holy Digimon in existence. It was flattering, if nothing else.

"I should think not." With speed and ease, Vamdemon launched himself up into the air. Power surged within him, begging to be used. However, he knew from past experience that he needed to exercise control. He waited as the Cherubimon flew into the air after him, an orb of light in each hand. He launched them each at Vamdemon, who dodged the attack with minimal effort. He waited only a breath of a moment before a twisted rope of red lightning appeared in his hand. He whipped it out in front of him, coiling it around the Cherubimon's throat and catching him off guard. It was just enough to give him the opening he needed. He filled his other hand with the same red lightning, hardening it into a blade before thrusting it through Cherubimon's chest.

The larger Digimon howled in pain, beginning to dissolve. Vamdemon laughed; this was almost too easy. If he could defeat one of the Holy protectors of the Digital World this easily, those wretched children would be no match for him. He pushed a final burst of power into the bladed lightning, and Cherubimon's data exploded.

Vamdemon reached his hand out for it, meaning to rewrite it for himself. However, as soon as he touched it, it flooded into him. His body was once again wracked with pain, which he was only slightly more prepared for this time. As he absorbed the final piece of data, the pain subsided.

He floated back down to the ground, feeling himself grow more powerful as the new data surged within him. He looked up to the sky, watching as it began to distort. It seemed the balance had been upset...good. This place could use a little chaos. Too much order was boring.

He stepped forward, Darkness following in his wake. He would destroy anyone who would oppose him in his new reign of terror. He would rise once more, and do away with the Light once and for all. He would finally plunge the Digital World into a neverending darkness and rule over it as its King.

From above, Seraphimon observed. He was too late—Cherubimon was gone. This threat, whatever it was, was immense, and it could not be tolerated. In his mind, he reached out to the only other remaining Celestial Digimon.

"Ofanimon, Cherubimon is fallen and his fractal code absorbed. Call the children. They must once again return to save the Digital World."

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

There always had to be a glitch.

For probably the thousandth time that day, Izumi Koushiro laid his head on the desk in frustration. It didn't matter how many times he reworked the code, the same glitch kept popping up. It could never just be easy.

He looked up again, watching the walls of code streaming over the several monitors he had set up on the desk before him. His eyes scanned over it, searching for a way to fix the problem. With a grunt of disapproval, he realised that the glitch was now in several other places as well.

"Dammit," he grumbled. He straightened himself up, laying his fingers over the keyboard once again. He was never gonna get this program done...

Quite suddenly, the glitch spread and his screen was taken over. A quiet electric hum droned from the monitor, and Koushiro watched for a moment with puzzled curiosity. The screen filled with static, and he could just barely make out a strange symbol flickering in and out. A hazy sound came through his speakers, broken and distorted. He turned it up—it sounded as if someone was speaking.

"Children...must...Digital World..."

Immediately, he sprang into action, all but throwing his laptop open on the desk. He frantically searched his pockets for his phone as it booted up. Papers and pens were thrown every which way in his mad rush to find it. Finally, his hand closed around the device and he opened the group text message between the Chosen Children.

<Emergency! Digital World in danger. Meet @ my office ASAP!> He sent it, knowing that now all he had to do was wait for them to arrive. While he waited, he occupied his time with trying to discern the source of the message.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Daisuke stared at the message on his phone for a moment with bewilderment. What could have happened now? It had been three years since they'd been truly needed to save the Digital World. Now that BelialVamdemon was gone, there had been mostly peace.

"Ken, we gotta go," he said, looking up to his boyfriend. Ken had his own phone in his hand, and he looked up from it and nodded.

"I got it too." He closed the book he had been reading and pulled his jacket off the back of the chair, stuffing his arms into it before holding a hand out to Daisuke. He pulled him to his feet, and Daisuke grabbed his own jacket off the bed where it had haphazardly been thrown.

The two shuffled out of the bedroom. Daisuke stopped in the kitchen to scribble a quick note to his parents that the Digital World was in danger and blah blah blah, he'd be home by dinner...maybe. By the time he was done, Ken had already gotten his shoes on and was holding the door open. He quickly grabbed his own shoes, shoving them on his feet as he walked out the door.

"Dai-chan, your phone is ringing," Ken said. He looked up, confused; he didn't hear anything. Ken smiled and shook his head, adding, "You turned the sound down, remember?"

"Then how come you can hear it?" Daisuke asked as he searched his pockets.

"Because I haven't taken as many soccer balls to the head as you have." Ken reached into the inner pocket of Daisuke's jacket and pulled out his phone for him. Daisuke grinned at his taller counterpart as he answered the phone.

"Moshi-moshi!"

"Dai-chan!" It was Yukira. "Did you get Koushiro's message?"

"Already on the way over. Need a lift?"

"If you could. I just left dance class."

"Perfect, that's on the way. Be there soon." He hung up the phone and looked over to Ken. "Yuki-chan needs a ride."

"I gathered that by you offering," he replied. He pulled his keys out of his pocket as they reached the elevator. Daisuke pushed the button and they waited hand-in-hand. He pushed the button a couple more times, and Ken chuckled quietly to himself.

"You know that doesn't make it come any faster, right?"

Daisuke shrugged, wrapping an arm around Ken's waist, and said, "It makes me feel better."

Just then, the elevator doors slid open. The two stepped inside, silent as the elevator descended. As the doors opened again, they stepped out and made their way outside to the parking lot. Ken had just gotten a new scooter for his birthday this year, and it had proved so much easier than taking the train.

"Shotgun!" Daisuke called, bolting for the vehicle.

"Dai, it's a scooter. There's no 'shotgun' to call."

"You say that, but I'm not letting Yuki-chan get the best of me." Ken shook his head with a smile and started the scooter up. Daisuke took his usual place behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist.

They wound their way through the midday traffic with ease. It wasn't far to the dance school, and they made it there in only a few minutes. Yukira was already waiting on the sidewalk for them, and before Ken had even stopped, she had jumped onto the back of the scooter behind Daisuke.

"You didn't even change?" Daisuke called back to her through the wind. She was still wearing her dance clothes, and she hadn't even changed out of her pointe shoes. He recalled a time when he had suggested she wear them outside "to complete the look"; he'd almost died that day, because her glare had shot lasers through his body and directly into his soul.

"He said it was an emergency," she said. "I can change when we get there."

"Yeah but your shoes..."

"Eh, they'll survive five minutes of sidewalk. Some things are more important."

"AH! Witness! Ashido Yukira actually just said that something is more important than dance! Ken, back me up here!"

"Shut up Daisuke," she said. "Thanks for the lift, Ken-chan."

"Anytime, my dear." It wasn't long before they reached the office building where Koushiro had set up his headquarters. Ken parked, and the three of them walked down the sidewalk toward the door.

"Any idea what's up?" Yukira asked.

"None whatsoever," Ken answered. "Do we ever know what's going on though?"

"Does it matter?" Daisuke interjected. "The Digital World needs us, we go."

"I suppose it's too much to ask to know what we're walking into," Yukira said.

"Maybe, but not knowing is what makes it an adventure!" Daisuke said with a grin.

As they reached the office building, they met up with Takeru, who had Miyako and Iori with him. Not five seconds later, Taichi and Hikari rounded the corner, pedaling furiously toward them on their bicycles. Yamato soon followed, then Mimi with Sora, and finally Jyou.

They made their way into the building and crammed themselves into the elevator together, chatting away with one another. The doors opened, and they filed out into the hallway. They must have been a strange sight. Yukira had her dance bag slung over her shoulder, trying to change her shoes as she walked. Taichi looked to have come straight from soccer practice, with his bag hanging at his side. Jyou, of course, had his own massive bag on his back, and a pile of books in his arms. It looked as if he were trying to sneak in one last moment of studying before they went. Mimi's arms were full of shopping bags, and Sora had one or two as well.

Taichi was the first to reach the office, and he held the door open as they all filed in. Koushiro looked up; he seemed somewhat surprised that they'd all arrived at once. Each of them found a place to sit or stand somewhere in the office (though with all thirteen of them it was a bit of a challenge), and waited for Koushiro.

"Now that you're all here," he started. He quickly typed something into his laptop and turned on the projector. On the wall was displayed a mess of static, with a strange circular symbol just barely visible through it. "Do any of you recognise this symbol?"

They all shook their heads. "I was writing a program and it kept glitching. Then, my screen went blank and this popped up. I thought it had crashed at first, but then this came through."

He clicked on something and turned the speakers up so they could all hear. It was distorted and distant, but they could just make out the words, "Children...must...Digital World...danger..."

"Who is that?" Sora wondered aloud. "I've never heard that voice before."

"I don't know," Koushiro said. "It said the Digital World is in danger. I did some digging— "

"Of course you did," Mimi quipped.

"—and I found...basically nothing useful. A bunch of scattered data and some more annoying glitches."

"So why don't we just go there and figure it out?" Daisuke stated simply.

Taichi held up a hand and said, "Hold on, Daisuke. You know better than that. It could be a trap to lure us there."

"Well, sure, it could be," Yamato added. "But you know we'd go regardless."

"Yes, we would, but going in with some information for a change sounds nice." He looked to Koushiro and added, "Did you find anything else? Maybe where this message came from at all?"

"Not really. I couldn't pinpoint anything. When I tried, the data scrambled almost instantly."

"So we're back to my idea, which is just go there and figure it out."

"Daisuke may be right, though I hate to admit it," Miyako said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Oh shut up, Daisuke. Anyways, if Koushiro can't get through, then our only other option seems to be to just jump right in and figure it out as we go."

"And if it's a trap?" Taichi asked blandly.

"Then you get to say 'I told you so' before we all die," Yukira said flippantly, reappearing from one of the closets she had used to change in. "Unless you have a better idea?"

"You're obnoxious, you know that?"

"That's what they tell me. Koushiro, have you been able to get a hold of Tentomon or any of the others to see what's going on over there?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I was able to get a gate open, so there's that."

"Well, that's better than nothing," Jyou said with a shrug. He stood, adding, "Might as well get this over with."

"Everyone still has a bag of supplies here, correct?" Koushiro asked. They all nodded. When he'd gotten this office, one of the first things he'd done was make each of the Chosen fill a backpack with supplies in case they ever needed to go to the Digital World on short notice. They were all stored neatly in a closet, and he handed them out to each of them.

"Alright, once we're through, stay together," Taichi said. "We have no idea what we're walking into."

"But be ready for anything," Daisuke added. The Chosen nodded to their leaders, fishing out their Digivices from pockets and belts. They pointed them at the computer screen, and with a soft ping, the gate opened.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

This was not the Digital World as they knew it.

Never before had they seen such destruction, not even when the Dark Masters had taken over. The ground was cracked and heaved everywhere they looked. Where once had stood thick, tall trees, there was now nothing but splinters and broken stumps. Thick black smoke filled the horizon, clouding the sky.

"What happened?" Hikari said, eyes wide with horror. She looked around; there were several small fires burning across the landscape, which looked to be the remains of houses. Shattered stones and wood were strewn about the area. A sickly-sweet stench hung on the air, which smelled suspiciously of singed hair and burning flesh.

As her eyes wandered over the now-ravaged landscape, she caught sight of something lying in the middle of a pile of broken branches. She clapped her hand to her mouth, rushing toward it. The others followed after her, and she immediately started clearing away the branches with their help. Soon, the figure became recognisable as--

"Wormmon!" Ken cried. He dropped to his knees, cradling his partner in his arms. "Wormmon, are you alright?"

"I'm alright, Ken-chan," Wormmon said. "Just a little banged up, that's all."

"Where are the others?" Daisuke asked. Worry was etched into his face. His brow furrowed and he squinted into the distance, searching for signs of the other Digimon.

"Safe." Wormmon pushed himself up to stand, struggling a bit. He nuzzled into Ken's arms for a moment and said, "I'll bring you to them."

"What happened here?" Yukira asked. Wormmon hopped down from Ken's arms and led the way as they walked.

"We don't know. Everything just started shaking and falling apart. We've been trying to evacuate what Digimon we can to other areas."

"We'll help with that," Sora said.

As they walked, they looked around to survey the damage. Whatever had happened here, it was bad. Their path was obscured by shattered trees and jagged rocks. Smoke stung their eyes and burned their throats as they walked through it. They had no way of even telling where they were—there was nothing discernible left.

Wormmon led them to the foot of a mountain. There was a cluster of thick brush on one side, which hid the opening to a small cave. Once inside, they found all of their Digimon partners, who were tending to other Digimon displaced by the damage.

Their reunion was emotional, but short-lived. Many of the Digimon here were injured, some of them quite badly. The Chosen immediately set to work. Jyou, of course, had bandages and medical supplies with him, and each of the Chosen had their own first aid kit as well. They all set to work and began bandaging cuts, cleaning wounds and providing what comfort they could.

"This is awful," Sora lamented.

Daisuke nodded. "We have to do something."

"We have to figure out what happened first," Taichi said. None of the Digimon here had been able to tell them much. They only knew that the sky had suddenly opened up with fire and the ground had split apart. There had been no warning or explanation. "Koushiro, anything?"

"No. Everything is all scrambled. None of this data lines up at all." His fingers flew over his keyboard at practically lightspeed, while Tentomon buzzed quietly behind him.

"So what does that mean?" Yukira asked. She was cradling a particularly worse-for-wear Elecmon in her arms, gently stroking his blood-matted fur in an attempt to soothe his pain.

"Well, as we know, the Digital World is comprised of data," Koushiro explained. "The uniformity of the data is what makes the landscape around us. If it gets rewritten, it changes the landscape. Scramble it, and you can see what happens."

Yamato thought for a moment. "So...the Digital World is all broken up because the data is?"

"Precisely. Or, the data is scrambled because the land is."

"Which one is it?" Taichi asked impatiently.

"I'm not sure yet. Give me some time."

"I don't think we have time," Ken noted. There was a low rumble in the distance, and the ground trembled beneath them.

"Go." A Gotsumon shakily pushed itself to its feet. "Those of us that can will take care of the others here. You're needed elsewhere."

Mimi looked worried. "Will you be alright?"

"We'll be fine. Go."

Somewhat reluctant, the Chosen pushed themselves to their feet. They did not want to leave these Digimon like this, but the Gotsumon was right—they were needed. One by one, they made their way out of the cave, their partners now at their sides.

"I've got something!" Koushiro exclaimed. "Over...there." He pointed, and the Chosen turned to look. There was a massive fire burning there on the horizon, with thick blackened smoke billowing up into the sky. Ashes rained down around it, blanketing the ground in the surrounding area.

"There's a massive surge of data over there," Koushiro explained. "Whatever it is, it's big."

"We better get over there then," Iori said grimly. They walked together in an anxious mass, not entirely sure what they were walking into besides something big. As they moved on, the smoke grew thicker, obscuring the sun and darkening the sky. From above, they could see flashes of what they could only guess was lightning.

Then, just as a flash of lightning lit up the sky, they saw it—two figures above, clashing together in the smoke. The Chosen froze, watching in abject terror as these two shapes fought against each other. Wave upon wave of energy was sent out around them with each strike, shaking the ground below. They were forced to stop a good distance away.

"What in the hell is—"

"We have to stop them," Hikari said, her voice hoarse. They all turned to look at her. Her eyes were glazed over, her expression distant. They had come to know this look; Hikari, because of her Crest of Light, had always been sensitive to the powers of Darkness. Over the years she had trained herself to sense it and even see it.

"We have to stop them," she repeated. "They'll destroy everything." Miyako laid a hand on her shoulder. Through their bond as Jogress partners, she had come to be able to feel, to some extent, the same things Hikari felt.

"Let's go," Miyako said.

The Chosen all presented their Digivices, exchanging a quick look with their partners. Then, all at once, a bright light surrounded each of the Digimon as the Digivices activated. Some evolved on their own, and some Jogress evolved, until finally before them stood Omegamon, Imperialdramon, Silphymon, Shakkoumon, Garudamon, AtlurKabuterimon, Lilimon, Zudomon, and Astraemon.

The Chosen each joined their Digimon, readying themselves for the battle ahead. It was at once exhilarating and daunting. It had been three years since they were last needed, and it felt good at least to get back into the swing of things. On the other hand, every time they were needed, it became more and more difficult to stop whatever force was threatening the Digital World. Would they one day be unable to do what they were chosen for?

As they moved closer, they could feel the heat from the fire against their faces. It blazed brightly, the smoke obscuring their view and making it hard to breathe. The occasional flash of light from above would reveal the position of the two figures in their battle.

Quite suddenly, one of the figures was thrust out of the smoke and revealed. It was, from what they could tell, a Digimon—but it was completely unfamiliar to them, and Koushiro's computer was unable to analyze it. It was a tall humanoid Digimon, with ten large wings on its back. Half were feathered, angelic wings, while the other half were leathery and demonic. A mess of blond locks sat atop its head, with a pair of piercing, crystalline blue eyes peering out from behind it.

"Who is that?" Taichi called to Koushiro, who shrugged and shook his head.

The strange Digimon growled loudly, forming two enormous orbs in its hands. One was made of pure Light, the other of absolute Darkness. It moved its hands together, beginning to merge the two orbs into one.

Before it could, a streak of bright scarlet lightning whipped out from the cloud of smoke and curled its way around the Digimon's arms, crushing them together and draining all of the power from them. A high, cruel laugh fell on the air, piercing and cold. It stopped the Chosen dead in their tracks.

"No..." Hikari breathed.

"It can't be..." Iori said.

"I'd know that voice anywhere," came Silphymon's quiet voice.

From behind the smoke emerged another Digimon. Where the first of them had been completely unknown, this face was an all-too-familiar haunting image they'd all tried and failed to push from their nightmares. Deep blue eyes, void of any light, hid behind a red mask. Bright red lips twisted into a sadistic, fanged smile. Standing before them, to their complete horror, was Vamdemon once again.

As if he hadn't noticed the Chosen yet, he formed another stream of lighting in his free hand. He flung it out toward the other Digimon, curling it around its throat. Moving with speed they had never seen from him before, he closed the distance between them. He reached a hand out, grabbing onto the strange Digimon's chest.

A shrill cry erupted from its throat as Vamdemon pierced his hand through its body. Data fell out of it like blood dripping from a wound. Vamdemon quickly took it up, pulling it into his own body.

As he did, his body began to warp and change. Gigantic black wings sprung from his back, spreading out across the sky and engulfed in Dark energy. His body nearly doubled in size. His face contorted, twisting into something bestial and monstrous. His hands grew sharp, pointed claws that seemed to slice the very air around them.

He let out a gleeful shriek, and the sound alone was enough to knock the Chosen back a few feet. The air grew thick and heavy, permeated with the Dark power that Vamdemon was emitting. It was enough to make them all buckle, and Hikari all but collapsed. Miyako, though she looked pale as well, wrapped an arm around her and held her up.

Vamdemon now turned his gaze toward them, and a deranged grin spread across his mutated face. He cackled loudly, saying, "You've arrived just in time, Chosen Children. I will finally destroy you once and for all."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!"

From behind the Chosen Children, a group of unfamiliar Digimon appeared. They moved past the Chosen to the front of the group. There were six of them, and they looked ready to fight.

"Who are they?!" Taichi asked Koushiro. Once again, Koushiro had no answers. The analyzer on his computer didn't recognise a single one of them.

At once, the six of them sprang into action, launching attacks at Vamdemon in a relentless barrage. Their attacks were powerful, but nothing they did seemed to affect him in any way, He simply stood there, laughing, allowing their attacks to hit him with no effect whatsoever.

"Pitiful," he laughed.

"Come on guys!" Taichi called out. Omegamon led the charge, with Imperialdramon following close behind. The others spread out behind them, prepared to back up the two more powerful Digimon's attacks.

"I don't have times for your games," Vamdemon snarled. With a wave of his hand, he threw them all back and knocked them to the ground. They hit hard, their Digimon immediately degenerating to their Child forms.

"What the hell? We didn't even land a hit on him!" Daisuke cried as he took Chibimon in his arms.

"We'll handle this," said one of the other six Digimon. They launched at Vamdemonn once again, only to meet the same result. They were knocked back amidst the Chosen, and as soon as they hit the ground they were each surrounded by a ring of blue energy. They degenerated to reveal...humans?!

"I have better things to do. Rest assured, I will deal with you later." With that, Vamdemon disappeared, leaving them all bruised and puzzled.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

"What the hell just happened?" Yukira cried. She knelt on the ground, blonde hair hanging over her bright blue eyes as she looked down at Akiryomon in her arms. Her partner nodded silently to let her know she was alright. She stood, looking toward the others.

"He's gotten more powerful," Iori said as he helped Armadimon to his feet.

"Hey, what was that thing?" said one of the other kids. He was tall, taller even than Taichi, with mousy brown hair and deep brown eyes. Atop his head sat a pair of square-shaped goggles.

"Better question—who are you?" Taichi asked.

"We're the Legendary Warriors," he answered proudly. The rest of them gathered around him, nodding. A few of the Chosen Children raised eyebrows at them, but said nothing. Legendary Warriors? What did that even mean?

"My name is Kanbara Takuya," he said. He pointed to each of the members of his group. "This is Minamoto Kouji, his brother Kimura Kouichi, that's Shibayama Junpei, that there is Himi Tomoki, and this is Orimoto Izumi."

"Yagami Taichi." He held out his hand, which Takuya took and shook firmly. Then, Taichi introduced the Chosen, pointing to them each in turn. “This here is my sister, Yagami Hikari. Ishida Yamato over there, his brother Takaishi Takeru, Izumi Koushiro, Kido Jyou in the back there, Takenouchi Sora, Tachikawa Mimi. That's Motomiya Daisuke there, his boyfriend Ichijouji Ken, Hida Iori, the one with the purple hair there is Inoue Miyako, and the loud one is Ashido Yukira.”

“Hey!”

"I didn't know there were more Chosen!" Tomoki said. "Do you guys fight with Spirits too?"

"Huh? Spirits?" Takeru cocked his head to the side, confued. "We fight with our Digimon partners."

Izumi clucked her tongue and muttered, "Li fai combattere per te? Che maleducato!"

"Okay but really, what was that thing?" Junpei interjected. "It sliced through Lucemon like a hot knife through butter, and we couldn't even get its attention!"

Koushiro looked up curiously. "Lucemon? Is that what that Digimon was?"

"Yeah," Kouji said. "But what about that other one?"

"Vamdemon," Hikari said weakly.

"That...thing is a Digimon too?"

"Yes. We've had issues with him before."

"Lucemon too," Kouichi said quietly. "I'd love to know how he was alive. We destroyed him.."

"I'd love to know how Vamdemon just absorbed him like that," Koushiro said. He was already furiously typing away on his laptop.

"He absorbed the fractal code," Takuya replied, as if this were obvious. Koushiro seemed to understand, and typed a few more things. The rest of them stared at Koushiro, awaiting his explanation.

After a few moments of silence, Taichi prodded, "Uh...Koushiro?"

"It's the code I was talking about earlier. It's what makes up everything in the Digital World. By absorbing Lucemon, it would follow that Vamdemon would be able to absorb his power."

"So that's why he changed like that?" Mimi asked. Koushiro nodded in response.

"What does that mean for fighting him?" Iori wondered aloud. "We had a hard enough time fighting him the last time..."

"We almost died," Ken reminded them. "If he's more powerful now—"

Yamato cut him off. "That doesn't matter. We have to stop him, no matter what."

"We have to find him first," Izumi pointed out.

"Shouldn't be too hard. Big dude with a bunch of wings and a penchant for destruction?" Junpei cracked his knuckles. "Easiest find ever."

"And then what?" Kouji pointed out, giving Junpei a flat stare. "We couldn't even touch him."

"I'm sure we'll figure something out. We always do," Takuya said cheerfully. He laced his fingers together behind his head and started walking.

"We need a bit more solid of a plan," Taichi called after him. Takuya stopped, turning to look back at him. "You can't beat this guy by just running in and hoping for the best?"

"Well sure," Takuya shrugged. "What else is there to hope for?"

For a moment, Taichi said nothing. He looked over these so-called Legendary Warriors, eyeing each one of them. They had the same determined look on their faces, as if what Takuya was saying was the obvious answer and they would follow him blindly into Hell itself. Taichi had a feeling that was exactly the case, because he knew his team would do exactly the same.

He sighed to himself and said, "Look, that's not gonna work with Vamdemon. He's too smart for that. If we just run in guns blazing without a plan we'll wind up getting killed."

"I have a plan," Takuya replied cheekily. "And it's to give it all we've got."

"That's not a plan!" Taichi barked. His fists clenched at his side and heat rose in his face. Sora appeared beside him and laid a hand on his arm.

"That's enough, boys," she said. She didn't have to raise her voice; her tone was icy enough to douse the heat rising between them. The two glared at each other for a moment before turning away.

Meanwhile, Daisuke had moved himself next to Koushiro and was leaning over his shoulder as he typed. "Hey, is there any way to track him on here?"

"Daisuke, that's not...a bad idea, actually." He quickly pulled up the map he had compiled over the last few years of the Digital World, his eyes roaming over it. There were a few places that looked like they were glitching; they were fading in and out like TV static. Other places on the map were completely blank—they had simply disappeared. And yet, there was no sign of Vamdemon anywhere.

"Hmm. With how powerful he is, it would be safe to assume that he'd show up on the map with a massive surge of data," Koushiro said, more to himself than to anyone in particular. "But he's not on here at all."

"So what, he's just disappeared?" Miyako said.

"It would appear that way."

"Well that's obnoxious," Yukira said in annoyance.

"You're obnoxious," Daisuke quipped, without even turning to look at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled to himself and said, "Well, I'm sure there are plenty of places we could be of help until we find him.” He jabbed his finger at the screen. “What's that?"

Koushiro swatted his finger away from the computer screen and said, "It looks like it used to be a village. It's been attacked, it seems."

"So let's go see if anyone needs help," Daisuke said, his tone matter-of-fact. "Vamdemon will turn up eventually. He wants us all dead. In the meantime, let's go see what we can do to help."

"Lead on, O Goggled One," Takeru said, gesturing to Daisuke. The Chosen pushed themselves to their feet and, with Koushiro's direction, began walking. They stuck to their own groups for the most part; Taichi and Daisuke were at the head of the Chosen, while the Warriors seemed to be following Takuya.

"This is a mess," Kouichi said quietly as they walked. "Nothing looks familiar at all."

His brother nodded in response. "I haven't seen a single Trailmon since we got here, either."

"What's a Trailmon?" Yukira piped up. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear."

"Seriously?" Kouji and Kouichi exchanged a look. "You've never seen a Trailmon?"

"I've never heard of one, let alone seen one." She looked down at Akiryomon, who looked up from her arms and shook her head. Yukira looked back up at the two brothers and shrugged.

"Well, if you had seen one, you'd know," Kouichi said. "They're huge Digimon that are kinda like trains."

"And you just what, ride on top of them?"

"Inside them, actually," Kouji said.

"Wow. Sounds pretty cool. I hope we get to see one."

Kouichi hung his head. "I hope so too. I hope they're okay."

"I'm sure they're fine," she offered gently.

"Guys, hold on!" Taichi stopped, holding his arm out at his side to stop the others. They looked past him to see what was wrong, and to their horror, they found the village Koushiro had pointed out on the map.

It hadn't been attacked. It had been obliterated.

They stood at the edge of a massive crater, looking down at what was once the home of hundreds of Digimon. Where once stood houses, there were splinters. Where there were once trees, there was now smoking embers. Nothing remained but fire and ash.

Sora fell to her knees, her hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes. Mimi wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her tightly, though her eyes were wet as well. Hikari leaned on Takeru, her face pale.

"What the hell?" Takuya muttered as he scanned the area. Even LordKnightmon and Dynasmon in all their cruelty had never done something so heartless. Anger rose in him like the fire he watched before him and he slammed his fist into the remains of a nearby tree.

"Save that for Vamdemon," Taichi said through gritted teeth. He, too, wanted to punch something right now—and that something was Vamdemon. He knew the creature was cruel and uncaring, but this...this was a whole new level of atrocious.

"We have to find him," Yamato said hoarsely. "Before he does this to anywhere else."

The others could only nod in agreement, their eyes wide with dismay as they looked out over the scene before them.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

More...

Absorbing Cherubimon had been an educational experience. Along with Cherubimon's power, Vamdemon had also acquired the knowledge he possessed. It was quite a large amount of information, and sifting through it had been difficult. He learned, however, that he could continue absorbing the fractal code of anything and everything in the Digital World, and with it would come its power. He'd known as much, to a point—absorbing data and rewriting it to suit his needs had been something he was aware of for quite some time. To his delight, he now knew the full extent of that power and the ends he could achieve with it.

The land itself didn't have much to offer. He might absorb that later and rewrite it to his purpose, but for now he would leave it alone. After all, one can't rule the world if there is no world left to rule, and he did so very much enjoy the look on those little brats' faces when they saw what he had done to it. However, there were several powerful Digimon whose code he would be delighted to devour.

Lucemon, too, had proven very informative. With Lucemon he had consumed not only an immense amount of power, but also a complete history of a Digital World he had never known until now. Combined with Cherubimon's extensive knowledge of this world, he was able to surmise that this was a completely separate Digital World from the one he knew.

That much made sense. The Digital World he had first stepped into was unfamiliar to him. He knew very little about it, only that Cherubimon was meant to be one of its protectors—what else would a Holy Digimon do? That part was simple though, and he likely would have come to the conclusion without having absorbed the data.

He considered this for a moment, wondering what exactly he had absorbed to create his new body. He searched through his mind, poring over not only his own extensive knowledge but that of the Digimon he had absorbed. Cherubimon's memories rose to the surface of his mind. It seemed that there was a barrier around each world in existence, which kept it isolated. He knew as much, though to what extent he was never sure. To break the barrier meant to open that world up. By absorbing a piece of it, he had opened up the Digital World that he knew to this new Digital World.

What delight! Now there were two Digital Worlds for him to rule. He wondered how many more there were. Naturally, he would have to extend his reign over them as well.

For now, however, he'd have to deal with those children. They had been an obstacle to his goals for far too long. And now, there were more of them...

No, something was different about those ones. They didn't have Digimon partners with them, though they carried Digivices. Instead, they appeared to have turned to Digimon themselves. How was this possible?

The phrase "Legendary Warriors" floated to the surface of his mind, and all was made clear. He would have to take their Spirits from them. This would render them powerless, and he could do away with them easily. The others were more of a challenge, however. Even when defeated, they had always managed to come back stronger than before. Devimon, before him, had tried to separate them on File Island, but they had somehow managed to reunite despite his best efforts to keep them apart.

He mulled that idea over for a moment. Their strength seemed to lie in their togetherness, and separating them might serve to weaken them. It was not ideal; those little brats had always found a way around him and they always managed to reunite with each other no matter what he did. Still, he would not rule it out. Perhaps separating them might keep them distracted while he did what he needed to do.

It would take more than that, though. Separating them would dilute their power for a time, but it would not last long. They had, in the past, proven much more resourceful and more powerful than he would have thought possible. He had to be careful and think things through. He would not underestimate them again.

"Well well well, what have we here?" Now that was an all-too-familiar voice.

"Piemon." What an annoyance.

"Vamdemon! Ooh, it is you! How delightful! It certainly has been too long," Piemon drawled as he stepped out from the shadows. "I see you have yet another new look for yourself."

"What do you want, clown?"

"Why, the same as you, I'm sure. Total control over the Digital World, unfathomable power, the usual." A mischievous smile spread across Piemon's face. "And it seems, despite the odds, we are both somehow alive and well."

"Do not stand in my way," Vamdemon replied shortly. At one time, Piemon had led the Dark Masters and was immensely powerful. Now, though, he was little more than a husk compared to the power Vamdemon now carried. He had no time for foolish games.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of it," Piemon mocked. "No, I simply want revenge and to see an end to those wretched little Chosen Children."

"They are mine."

"Well, you see, now we have a problem." Piemon's tone darkened menacingly, and he smirked. "You see, I spent far too much time locked in that horrible Heaven's Gate, the Light burning my very existence while I was trapped in my own consciousness. I will have my revenge, Vamdemon, one way or another."

"They are mine," Vamdemon repeated. "If you stand in my way, I will destroy you."

Piemon laughed. "You may try. But you see, dear Vamdemon, in all that time I spent in the Gate, floating between worlds, I learned a great deal. Did you know that there are other Digital Worlds beside our own? Hundreds, even thousands of them! A simple change in the code and—" A mass of energy surrounded his hand, and Vamdemon was able to see an aura of new power begin to grow around him. "—you see, we can rewrite the very foundation of the Digital World to suit our whims and exponentially expand our own powers."

"You think yourself a clever fool." Vamdemon turned to look at him now, a wicked sneer pulling at his face. "Do you think yourself the only one to know this?"

"Judging by your latest fashion exploit, I should say not." Piemon looked him up and down, as if weighing him in. "However, I have wasted a great deal of time on this banter. It was lovely to catch up, but I'm afraid I must bring this to a close."

"You will fall as the others did," Vamdemon said curtly.

"Very well." With a final crude smile, Piemon reached for one of the swords on his back. He drew it, holding it out in front of him and bowing slightly. The aura around him grew, and he launched himself at Vamdemon. His attacks were quick, but futile.

"My my, what is this? What have you done to yourself this time, dear Vamdemon?"

"As I said, you are a fool." In one swift motion, he reached out a clawed hand and grasped Piemon's body fully, squeezing him hard. The clown struggled against his hold to no avail.

"Yes, there are other Digital Worlds outside of our own," Vamdemon said. "I will be taking control of those as well, though you will not live to see it. And though I am surprised one so simple as you was able to discover it, I am well aware that the data can be rewritten. What you have failed to learn, however, is that it can be absorbed."

"Y-You absorbed that Lucemon thing?" Piemon said, still straining against Vamdemon's grip. "So that's what it was. How very chimerical of you."

"I will absorb your data as well," Vamdemon said. "You have annoyed me long enough. Rest assured, your power will be used to destroy the Chosen Children once and for all." With a final squeeze of his hand, he dug his claws into Piemon. Data began to seep out of him, and he hungrily consumed every last bit of it until Piemon had disappeared completely. He felt himself once again grow stronger, and his body changed with it. The wings he had acquired from absorbing Lucemon sharpened, and each feather hardened into a blade. His face became less bestial, turning more humanoid once more. The claws on his hands grew longer and hardened into daggers.

As with the others, the absorption of Piemon came with a rush of knowledge. It was staggering at first, but Vamdemon quickly regained his composure. It seemed that Piemon was correct in saying that he had learned a great deal while trapped in the Gate. The clown had always had a few tricks up his sleeve, but this...oh, this was delicious. Vamdemon grinned venomously. Now this would definitely keep the Chosen busy for a little while.

He had work to do.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

It was getting dark as Sora looked over the group. They'd been walking for hours now, stopping only once or twice to rest. Though they'd been able to help a few Digimon here and there get to safer places, they'd come no closer to finding Vamdemon.

What would they do once they did? They hadn't even been able to touch him. As far as she knew, they couldn't evolve their Digimon any further to make them stronger. It didn't help that now they had the image of what Vamdemon was capable of doing burned into their minds.

She moved herself through the group, working her way toward the front. They all smiled half-heartedly at her as she walked past, and the exhaustion and worry on their faces was heartbreaking. She wound her way to Taichi and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Taichi, we should find someplace to camp for the night."

He didn't look at her. "Where? There's nowhere around that isn't just open space."

"Well, we have to do something. We're all exhausted, and the Digimon should rest in case we need to fight again."

Taichi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew she was right. They'd been walking almost non-stop for the entire afternoon. He turned to look at the others, all trying to keep going but noticeably weary. Then, finally, he nodded and said, "Alright, let's stop for the night."

The relief that washed over them was almost palpable. A few of them dropped to the ground right then and there, ready to fall asleep at a moment's notice. The Digimon, too, were visibly relieved to finally rest.

"It's warm enough that we probably don't need a fire," Ken said as he slung his backpack off his shoulder. "So we shouldn't attract any attention."

"What about food? We only have enough for us," Junpei said. "We weren't really expecting company, so to speak."

"Don't worry, we brought our own supplies," Takeru said with a laugh. Patamon fluttered around him and landed atop his head, and he passed a snack up to the small Digimon with a smile.

"Wow, you guys look like you could feed a whole army," Izumi said.

"We sorta can," Jyou replied. "I mean, there are thirteen of us, plus our partners..."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Takuya piped up. "I mean, you guys have Digivices, so it's obvious you're Chosen. But...how do you fight?"

"We help our partners evolve," Koushiro explained. "They use some of our energy to facilitate their evolution."

"So...wait...you guys make the Digimon do all the fighting?"

Yamato bristled and said, "We don't make them do anything. We work together."

Takuya threw his hands up and replied, "Hey, I didn't mean any offense. I'm just curious how it all works, that's all. So they evolve using your energy?"

"Yes," Koushiro said. "Each of us shares a special bond with our respective partners. For example, Tentomon here is my partner. By using some of my energy, he is able to evolve and become stronger."

"Molto benne!" Izumi said brightly. "You all must be great friends then."

"The best," Mimi said, holding Palmon against her.

"What about you guys?" Miyako asked. "You guys can turn into Digimon?"

Junpei nodded. "We have the Spirits of the Ten Legendary Warriors!"

"And they are...?"

"They're...the Legendary Warriors. Way back, they fought Lucemon and sealed him away. They left their Spirits hidden around the Digital World, and when we first came here, we found them and now we fight with them."

"That's pretty neat," Miyako said. "So how does that work?"

Izumi smiled and held out her hand. A ring of code appeared around it and she said, "We each have our own Spirits. Mine are the Spirits of Wind. We scan the fractal code over our D-Scanners and evolve."

"Spirits of Wind?"

"Yep. Each of us has a different Spirit. Junpei has the Spirits of Thunder. Takuya's are Fire."

Yukira gave an understanding nod. "Oh, so kinda like the Crests."

"The what now?" Junpei asked through a mouthful of chocolate bar.

"Oh, we have Crests," she said. She pulled her D-Terminal out of her pocket and pulled up the display of her Digimental. "See that little symbol there? That's the Crest of Perseverance. We've each got our own."

"Huh. That's neat." He took another bite of his chocolate. "What do they do?"

"They help our Digimon partners evolve further than their Adult level."

"Without our partners and their Crests, it would take a really long time for us to evolve that far," Akiryomon said.

"Not to be a killjoy," Jyou said. The Chosen groaned dramatically, and he rolled his eyes. "Seriously guys? Every time. Anyways, we should probably set up watches for the night in case anything happens."

"He's right," Kouji agreed. "There's enough of us that we can rotate every couple of hours."

"We should do it in groups of two or three," Iori added. The others nodded their agreement, and sort of split themselves into groups on their own. Daisuke, Ken, and Yukira offered to take the first watch. Tomoki, Taichi, and Yamato took the second; Takuya, Kouji, and Junpei took third; Jyou, Izumi, and Koushiro took the fourth; fifth watch went to Sora, Mimi, Takeru and Hikari, and finishing out the night would be Kouichi, Miyako, and Iori.

"Happy now, Jyou?" Daisuke teased.

"Yes. Yes I am. One of us has to be responsible." He shook his head, though he smiled to himself.

"We should all get some rest while we can," Taichi said. He laid himself down, resting his head on his backpack and closing his eyes. The rest of them were happy to follow suit, one by one settling in for the night.

Daisuke, Ken, and Yukira took up their post, looking out over the vast expanse of grassy field surrounding them. For now, everything was quiet. Ken was quite right in saying that it was warm enough to not have a fire; even with the sun completely set, the air was still balmy and pleasant. A slight breeze would occasionally whisper through the grass, sending it rippling and hissing in the moonlight.

"What are we gonna do?" Ken finally said, his voice hushed.

"Hmm?" Daisuke turned to him. His brow was furrowed and a frown pulled his mouth downward. He looked to be deep in thought.

"About Vamdemon," he said. "The last time we fought him, we barely made it out alive."

"We're gonna kick his ass," Yukira said firmly.

"Yuki-chan, I mean—"

"I know what you mean," she said, and her voice softened. "I have no idea how we're going to do it, but we're going to because we have to."

"It'll be okay," Daisuke reassured him. "We always find a way. We weren't Chosen for nothing."

"I know, it's just..." Ken hung his head. For years he had unknowingly been under Vamdemon's control, and had been a key piece in reviving him as BelialVamdemon. That had haunted him for the last three years. For Vamdemon to be back once more...it was too much.

"I know," Daisuke said. He slid his arm around Ken's waist and gently kissed his cheek. "Look, we'll figure it out, okay? We always do. And we've got more Chosen on our side now. They seem pretty strong. I think we can take him."

"You thought you could take that bear we saw when we went camping last year," Ken jabbed.

"That...was a miscalculation." Ken snorted and quickly covered his mouth so as to not wake the others. Yukira raised an eyebrow at them both and said, "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of hearing this story."

"It's not that interesting," Daisuke said with a laugh. "When we went camping last year there was a bear wandering around the campsite and—" He stopped suddenly, looking around.

"What is it?" Ken asked. Daisuke laid a finger over his mouth and shushed him, listening intently. There was a low rumble in the distance, barely audible, but Ken and Yukira heard it as well.

Ken nudged him and repeated the question, "Dai-chan, what is it?" 

Yukira stood, ready to move at a moment's notice. "Should we wake the others?"

"Hang on." Daisuke squinted through the darkness, his eyes searching the horizon for any sign of danger. Maybe it was just a thunderstorm and they'd need to move. Maybe he had just imagined it. But, sure enough, there it was again, and it sounded like it was getting closer.

"Something's coming." The voice startled them, and the three of them wheeled around. It was Kouichi. He joined them, looking toward the horizon. He squinted for a moment, then said quietly, "Wake the others."

They didn't wait for an explanation. Immediately, they spread out over the group, waking them up one by one. Within seconds, they had roused them all.

"What is it?" Taichi said groggily, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"There's something coming," Yukira answered.

"Vamdemon?"

"I don't know."

There was another rumbling sound, this time much closer. They were all on edge, each of them looking around to see where it was coming from. There was nothing, not even the breeze. Everything was as still as glass.

Quite suddenly, the ground shook. Instinctively, they pulled their Digivices out, ready to fight if needed. As if in answer to their anticipation, a tower of energy shot down from the sky and hit the ground close to them. They jumped back and watched in horror as a mass of Dark power emerged from the ground, swirling around itself in a shapeless heap. Then, slowly, it began to take form, twisting and contorting itself into a sort of dark reflection of Vamdemon.

Echoing out across the space around them came Vamdemon's booming voice. "Your time has come, children. I'm sorry I cannot oversee your destruction personally, but I have important matters to attend to."

"What the hell...?" Taichi looked up at this towering figure, paralysed with fear. If this was a reflection of Vamdemon, he had changed from the last time they had seen him not hours before. Had he absorbed more Digimon? How much more powerful was he?

Seemingly amused by their terror, the figure smiled. "Do you like my Kimera?" it called down to them. "It is my gift to you, made of my own data. Though I wish I could be there to destroy you myself, this Kimera will take care of that, and I will watch through its eyes."

They stood frozen, unable to move. Vamdemon in all his incarnations had always had a knack for instilling fear in his enemies, and this was no exception. They knew they had to move, to fight—but how could they, when their fear rooted them to the spot?

"Aki-chan..." Yukira said shakily. She felt her partner lay a paw on her arm and managed to look down at her. Akiryomon nodded. She swallowed hard and nodded back, clutching her D-3 in her hand.

Before she had a chance to actually think it through, she bolted. Akiryomon jumped down from her arms and ran at her side. A bright light engulfed the Digimon, and Yukira felt herself align with her partner. The power of the Digimental of Perseverance burned inside her chest, threatening to explode, until Astraemon finally burst forth.

"Baka!" she heard Taichi call after her. "What are you doing?"

Astraemon held a hand out to Yukira, which she took. She was pulled up onto the Digimon's shoulder and Astraemon said, "Shall we?"

Yukira nodded, and her partner shot up into the air, heading for the Kimera. "Any bright ideas?"

"I haven't gotten past 'kick its ass' yet," Yukira admitted. "But we had to do something."

"Looks like the others figured that out as well." Yukira turned around. Imperialdramon was following closely, with Daisuke and Ken on either side of them. Directly behind them was Taichi with Wargreymon, with the others quickly following.

"You idiot!" Taichi said as Wargreymon flew up beside them. "Did you think you were just gonna take that thing on by yourself?"

"No, but I wasn't going to just stand there and wait for it to kill us either." He shook his head and muttered something to himself, but with the wind rushing in her ears she couldn't hear him.

"What's the plan?" he asked. "Since you seem to be leading this thing."

Plan...? She really hadn't thought it through. She probably should have waited for the others...

"Daisuke, see if Imperialdramon can find a weak spot," she said, improvising on the spot. "The rest of us go in hard and give it all we've got to distract it. Once Imperialdramon finds a weak point, you and Yamato come in with Omegamon and blast it."

"Hey, what about us?" It was one of the Legendary Warriors. Did they have names? She wasn't sure, nor was she sure which Chosen evolved to which Digimon. This one was just...red all over?

"Hit it from the back and see if you can't throw it off. We've got the numbers on our side."

"We'll take care of it," said another Warrior. This one was a strange wolf-human hybrid. She nodded, and they flew on ahead.

"You're still an idiot," Taichi called to her, but for some reason, he smiled at her. He fell back, relaying the plan to the others, while Imperialdramon shot forward to begin.

"Alright, let's do this," Yukira said. She and the rest of the Chosen began their assault. Those that could fly whizzed about, throwing attacks at it anywhere they could get a shot in. Each time the Kimera moved to attack one of them, another was there to deflect it. Those on the ground focused their attacks on trying to knock the Kimera off balance.

"Focus your attacks on its centre!" Imperialdramon called out. At once, they all launched their attacks, aiming for the middle of the Kimera. They managed to knock it back, and it reached out a clawed hand, shrouded in shadow, to retaliate.

"Taichi! Yamato! NOW!" Yukira called. As if they had been waiting for her signal, Omegamon lunged forward with his sword outstretched. He sank it hilt-deep into the Kimera, bringing the cannon on his other arm around and blasting it into the creature. It dissolved immediately, leaving only a crater where it once stood.

At once, the Chosen erupted into a raucous cheer. They regrouped on the ground, rushing toward each other en masse. The Legendary Warriors joined them as well, mingling with them in a huddle.

"Not too bad for just rushing in," Taichi said, laying a hand on Yukira's shoulder. She beamed up at him, as if he had just paid her the highest of compliments. "But you're still an idiot."

"Well someone had to do something," she said sheepishly.

"You're right." Yamato appeared at her side, holding Gabumon in his arms. "And if you hadn't rushed in we probably would have stayed frozen."

She grinned. "See?"

"Still an idiot!" Daisuke cried, pushing his way through the group to get to her. He pointed his finger at her accusingly and glared. "You could have gotten yourself killed." Then, he slung an arm around her shoulder and grinned, adding, "But we didn't die, so that's good."

He reached up and pulled his goggles off of his head. He turned, putting them on Yukira and said, "You get to be the honorary leader." He beamed down at her, his hands on her shoulders. She laughed and shook her head; she could feel everyone's eyes on her now, and it was kind of uncomfortable.

"Annnd now you're done," Daisuke said. He snatched the goggles off of her head and put them back on, adding quietly, "I feel naked without them."

"I can't believe we did it," Sora said. She had dropped to her knees and was cradling Piyomon in her arms.

"I can," Takuya blustered. "We're the Chosen. We can do anything!"

"Keep in mind that wasn't the real Vamdemon," Kouji reminded him.

"Eh, we'll do the same to him when we find him."

"Hey, you guys didn't do too bad out there," Taichi said. He held a hand out to Takuya, which he took and shook firmly. "What was that thing you evolved into?"

"Aldamon, Fusion Spirit of Flame."

"That's...really cool," Taichi admitted. "Thanks for the help."

"You guys didn't do so bad yourselves. That Jogress thing is pretty sweet. I mean, not as cool as us, but..."

"I hate to rain on our victory—" Jyou interrupted.

"No you don't," Mimi joked.

"—but we should probably move on from here. You think Vamdemon won't send another one of those things after us?"

"Jyou's right," Taichi said.

"I usually am."

"Well, come on then, Jyou, lead the way." Taichi gestured for him to take the lead, adding, "You wanna borrow Daisuke's goggles too?"

"Will you actually listen to me if I wear them?" Jyou said flatly. They all laughed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

So, they had defeated the Kimera.

No matter. He would make another one, a stronger one. For now, it had served its purpose of keeping them occupied.

Truly, he had Piemon to thank for the idea, and even perhaps the name. To bring his will and intent to life as a mindless being to control was brilliant. It would need some work to fully become what he needed it to be. Perhaps he could keep the Chosen alive for a little longer, to use as test subjects while he worked out how to make them stronger...

Still, it had given him enough time to find what he was looking for. Though it lay crumbling, his castle still occupied the same space. Ah, home sweet home...

It was here that he would find what he needed. He entered the castle and the smell of dust and damp stone assaulted his senses. Power emanated from the very walls, humming around him. This place had once been used by the Agents in their fight against the Dark Masters, until Piemon and his band had raided it and done away with them. Vamdemon then took it over, using is as his home and base of operations for many years.

In that time, he had come to learn its secrets, things that even the Agents had never learned about it. He wound his way through the labyrinthine corridors—halls he'd walked a thousand times before and knew inside and out—until he came to the very centre of the castle. The hallway opened up into a large circular room. Dingy tapestries and cobwebs hung on the walls, and silence was the only inhabitant.

His keen eyes roamed over the floor until they fell upon a single stone. It had runes carved into it, ancient and indecipherable. He stepped forward, kneeling on the cold ground. Though he'd inhabited this place for a very long time, this particular stone had always been a mystery to him.

That is, until now.

He reached a hand out and placed it at the centre of the stone. The runes came alight with a deep red light that filled the room. They lifted off of the stone and floated upward, swirling through the air and coiling around Vamdemon's arm. Then, as if they had been waiting for his arrival, they placed themselves gently and neatly on his arm.

The stone beneath his hand moved, sliding out from under his touch to reveal a hidden stairwell. He chuckled to himself and shook his head; a trap door, how very original. Castles these days...

He stood and made his way down the dust-caked stairs. The passageway seemed to never end, and it was so dark that even he had trouble seeing. Still, he continued, feeling something just at the edge of his senses that he couldn't yet identify.

After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the bottom of the stairs. Before him was an endless lake of black water, still as still could be. He cocked his head curiously for a moment. This place thrummed with a deep and ancient power that was strange and yet all too familiar. It was that power that had drawn him here, to this place outside of reality, and he took a tentative step forward. The water rippled underneath him, but seemed to support his weight with ease.

Curious, he thought to himself.

He walked out into the expanse, the silence around him chilling. Even his footsteps made no sound, despite disturbing the water. It was an eerie setting, and his senses prickled at the power that emanated out all around him.

"Who dares enter my domain?" hissed a cold voice. It was familiar to him—more than familiar. It was this voice that had taught him pain and the power of fear.

"You know very well who I am," came Vamdemon's cool reply.

"Vamdemon." The acknowledgement was even colder than the greeting. "You have changed."

"And you have stagnated, Apoclymon." Vamdemon's lips curled into a wry smile. "Fear not, for I will liberate you from your prison."

"You mean to absorb my power." Images of Vamdemon's exploits flitted across the surface of the blackened water, floating to the surface and disappearing again. "I have watched you from this place."

"How very shrewd." His smile faded a little. What was this place?

"It is the place where everything and nothing converge, well beyond time and space," Apoclymon replied, as if he had heard Vamdemon's silent question. "And yes, I can hear your thoughts."

"Then you know that I will succeed in taking your power," Vamdemon said.

"Yes, you will," Apoclymon replied, "because I will give it to you freely."

"That's charitable of you.” Vamdemon frowned. “Why?"

"Because I cannot leave this place on my own. Those wretched Chosen brats sealed me away here and I am unable to leave, even after you have broken the binding spell that held me. In part, it is due to my own power. But you, Vamdemon, are able to walk freely, and so by giving my power to you I am assured that it will be used to rid this world and all others of their presence."

Vamdemon thought for a moment. Apoclymon, who had created him from pieces of his own data, who had taught him fear and pain and hatred, who had shown him the power of the Darkness, was just going to give his power up. Something about that notion seemed off.

"What's the catch?" Vamdemon asked.

"The catch," Apoclymon chuckled. "The catch is that you have to be able to contain me. It will be no easy feat. If you fail, you will simply be absorbed by me and become a part of this void."

"You underestimate me."

"No, Vamdemon, it is you who underestimates me. My very existence warps the fabric of space and time. Do you truly believe that you can contain that within your mortal form?"

"I have absorbed much already. You will be a simple addition." Vamdemon held his hand aloft and the runes that had implanted themselves on his arm began to glow again. They lifted from him, swirling around once more. They moved much faster this time, spiraling rapidly around his arm as they pulled in energy from all around him.

Slowly, Apoclymon began to break apart, cackling maniacally as he did. Piece by piece, Vamdemon pulled him in. With each fragment, he felt himself grow stronger and more powerful. His mouth curled upward and he laughed—slowly, at first, but growing more crazed as he felt Apoclymon's power fuse with his own.

That this much power existed was enough to drive one mad. That he and he alone would be the one to possess it—what a glorious sight it would be. With this, he was sure to crush the Chosen Children with ease.

The runes slowed their rotation and stopped in the air. They hung for a moment, perfectly still. Then, quite suddenly, they shot back into his arm. The second they touched him, he was overcome with immense pain unlike anything he had felt before. It spread rapidly over his entire body, seeping down into his very existence.

He dropped to his knees, screaming and writhing in agony. His eyes spun and rolled back in his head. There was no glorious sight to behold here; he lay crumpled on all-fours, breathing heavily, spittle dripping from his fangs. The pain consumed him, scorching every bit of him until he was sure he could take no more.

No...NO! He had to contain it! Everything now hinged on this—his ability to contain Apoclymon and all the power he held. He fought hard against the forces churning inside his body and trying to consume his very being. The pain was excruciating, and he was sure his mind would burst from the torrent of information now flooding into it.

Finally, the pain subsided. His body ached, and he collapsed on the surface of the water. He felt drained, as though every last shred of energy had left him. And yet, he could feet Apoclymon's power within him now, coursing through his body. He was stronger, of that much he was certain.

With great difficulty, he pushed himself back up. He managed to catch a reflection in the water beneath him and admired it for a moment. He was a gruesome sight indeed.

His face had twisted and reformed into something quite handsome. Where his hair had once been short and tight against his head, it was now long and sleek, hanging to the middle of his back. Ten black, bladed wings stretched out behind him, monstrously large and formidable to behold. He was clad in black and red, with shining black armour across his chest, shoulders, and legs.

He stood, admiring his new form. He was no longer just a powerful Digimon—he was the most powerful Digimon that had ever existed. Why, he was a god.

"And should I not call myself what I am?" he said aloud. "I shall be OkamiVamdemon, and none will stand in my way." He let out a high, cruel screech of manic joy, shaking the very fabric of the world around him.

"And I am coming for you, Chosen."

Chapter Text

The rest of the night was quiet, a welcome respite. It had been a long and trying day, and all of the Chosen were desperate for rest. They found a suitable spot to finish their night and were able to sleep well.

When they awoke in the morning, they felt a renewed sense of vigor. Their victory against Vamdemon's Kimera the night before had bolstered their morale immensely. As they began walking again, they talked animatedly with each other, as if the two groups of Chosen had known each other their whole lives.

Koushiro immediately busied himself with learning all he could about the Legendary Warriors and the Spirits they held. Tomoki was all too happy to provide him with the information he sought. He would patiently wait while Koushiro notated everything on his laptop, then as soon as he was ready would start again. When he got to explaining Susanoomon, Koushiro was actually awestruck enough to stop typing for a moment; he'd never dreamed such a thing was possible, even with his extensive study and knowledge of Jogress evolution.

Daisuke, meanwhile, was ecstatic to be regaling the Warriors with his favourite story—the tale of their battle against BelialVamdemon. "—and then, I figured out the world around us could make our wishes a reality and BAM. All of V-Mon's evolutions popped up, every single one of them."

"So there's another Digital World?" Kouichi asked curiously, a thoughtful furrow to his brow.

"Seems like there are quite a few, from what you've said," replied Ken. "It looks like we went to two separate Digital Worlds."

"Okay but hold on, it gets better..." Daisuke continued his story, while Kouji raised an eyebrow and leaned in to whisper to Yukira, "Is he always this obnoxious?"

She stifled a giggle and nodded. "That's Daisuke for ya. He did kinda save our lives though."

"And it sounds like he'll never let you forget it, either," Kouji chuckled.

"He definitely will not. So, what's it like to turn into a Digimon?"

"It's pretty cool, not gonna lie." Takuya appeared at her side, dramatically slinging an arm around her shoulder as he straightened himself up to his tallest height. "I mean, you saw us, right?"

Kouji rolled his eyes. "Oh, here we go."

Takuya shot him a withering glare and hissed, "Shut up, Kouji. She's never seen us in action until now."

"You had to ask, didn't you?" Kouji gave Yukira a pointed stare. She giggled again, turning her attention back to Takuya.

"So, imagine you're just a boring kid with a boring life and then you're transported to a world you had no idea existed—"

"I don't have to imagine. We did that," she said with a laugh.

"Okay but then imagine that you get superpowers once you're there and—" He continued on, making sure that she got the most impressive and wordy retelling of his first evolution to Agnimon. While he spoke, she leaned in toward Kouji and whispered, "Is he always this obnoxious?" He snorted loudly.

Izumi then pushed Takuya out of the way (to his complete dismay) and looked to Yukira. "So what was that Armour Evolve thing that Akiryomon did?"

"It's one of the ways she can evolve," Yukira explained. She pulled out her D-Terminal and showed it to Izumi, explaining the Digimentals and how they worked. "Us second-gen Chosen all have them, and the others can also Jogress evolve—"

“Jogress?”

“Yeah, their Digimon combine to make a much more powerful Digimon—like Omegamon.”

“So you can just combine your Digimon?”

“Sort of. Only with their Jogress partners—so Ken and Daisuke, for instance.”

"Che meraviglia! Who do you Jogress Evolve with?"

"I...don't. Odd one out."

"Oh, I—"

"Hey guys! Let's stop here for a minute!" Taichi called. They'd reached the edge of a forest, which was thankfully still lush and green. It seemed to have escaped Vamdemon's wrath for now, and there was an almost tangible wave of relief that washed over them all. Taichi wound his way through the group to Koushiro and said, "Any idea where we're going?"

"Not yet. I've been trying to re-compile a map for us as we've been walking, but everything is out of place and the data is still too scrambled for me to make much out of it."

"Our D-Scanners haven't been able to pick up much either," Takuya said.

Koushiro suddenly looked up at him. "That reminds me. Would you mind if I take a look at one of your Digivices for a moment?"

"Uhh, yeah, sure, I guess." Takuya looked confused, but he pulled his D-Scanner from his pocket and handed it to Koushiro. He took it in his hands, turning it this way and that, occasionally poking and prodding at it and muttering to himself. He had that tell-tale Koushiro look on his face that said he was studying it just a little more than carefully, and the rest of the Chosen waited in anticipation for whatever it was that he would figure out.

"This is far more complex than our Digivices," he said. "Even the D-3's aren't quite this advanced. You had said earlier that you're able to scan your fractal code with these, correct?"

"Sure, that's how we evolve," Junpei said, munching on a chocolate bar. "We can use them to scan other fractal code—"

"Other fractal code?"

"Yeah, we can use the D-Scanners to purify the code of evil Digimon. It returns them to an egg and basically resets them. They get a fresh start."

Koushiro thought on this for a moment, then said, "Can you do it with Vamdemon?"

Takuya stuffed his hands in his pockets. "We might be able to, sure. But we'd have to knock it out of him first, and we couldn't even land a hit on him."

"That part we can figure out," Yamato said with a wave of his hand. "So if we can manage to knock the code out of him, you guys could theoretically scan it and—and you said purify it?"

"It will likely take all six of us to do it," Kouichi added. "But theoretically, yes."

"So all six of us will do it," Tomoki said, matter-of-fact. "I'm sure if we work together, he won't stand a chance."

"That's right Tomoki," Takuya said, clapping him on the back. "We took down Lucemon, we can take down this Vamdemon guy. And we've got more Chosen on our side this time." He looked to the others, who nodded their agreement. Their resolve was firm—they could handle anything that came their way.

Chapter Text

"A touching sentiment."

Vamdemon appeared before the Chosen, and to their shock and abject horror he had changed once again since they had last seen him. The power emanating from him was overwhelming. The air became thick and hard to breathe; Hikari, Kouji, and Takeru were knocked back by it and struggled to keep standing.

As quickly as the shock of his sudden appearance had come on, it wore away and they sprang into action. Digivices were immediately pulled out of pockets or removed from belts and Digimon readied themselves to evolve. The Legendary Warriors each produced a ring of code around their hands and prepared to fight.

Vamdemon let out a cruel laugh. "I'm afraid your little party tricks will not be necessary this time," he said. As he spoke, the ground shook and began to break apart. The sky darkened to a deep, inky black, and colour faded to dreary grey around them.

"What's happening?" Takeru called out.

"It is as I have promised. I will cover this world and all others in Darkness and rule over it supremely. Those who do not bow down to my power will be destroyed."

He held a hand outward, clenching his fist as he did. The ground beneath them all but shattered, and the Chosen were forced to scatter to find stable ground. Vamdemon let out a vicious howl of amusement and said, "You see, this world obeys my every command. It is mine to do with as I please. I am its new God, and I will be known henceforth as OkamiVamdemon."

The ground continued to crumble, and the Chosen were forced to run. There were a number of failed attempts at evolution. Each time one of them would try, another piece of the land would fall out from beneath them. They were running out of places to go.

"Like mice from a nest." OkamiVamdemon chuckled to himself. "As enjoyable as it is to watch you flee in terror, I have much bigger plans for you." He held his hand out once more, conjuring up a sphere of pitch black energy. It spread rapidly, encasing the entire area. It was as if the world around them simply blinked out of existence; nothing could be seen or heard, not even their own voices.

As if he were on a loudspeaker inside each of their minds, OkamiVamdemon spoke, "I have decided not to obliterate you just yet. You see, taking over the world takes time, and I have some things I need to experiment with before total control is mine. You wretched little specks will be my test subjects. When I am through with you, and only then, I may grant you the mercy of death."

A terrifying silence swept over the darkness. OkamiVamdemon's words hung in the air, echoing through the minds of the Chosen Children. Fear clung to them all with an icy chill that sank into their skin and shook them to their very core.

From outside the sphere of darkness, OkamiVamdemon grinned. "The seeds of fear have been planted," he said to himself. He looked over his creation before him; it was immense. Even he was surprised at how massive it was. He glanced down at one of his clawed hands, marveling at the power he now wielded.

He reached his hand up and caressed the wall of energy before him. It thrummed with power, and he could feel every single one of the Chosen Children and their Digimon trapped inside it. He could see into their minds—he knew their names, their lives, their darkest fears and deepest desires.

A twisted smile caught the corners of his mouth and curled it upward. He reached his hand inside the sphere. With one quick motion, he ripped it apart, shattering it to pieces. Each fragment launched from him, into the air and far from sight.

What a delicious game this would be! He would hunt them down, one by one, and pull their fears from them. He'd always had a knack for nightmares—they were his specialty. But now, with all the knowledge and power he possessed, he could bring those fears to life and enact upon the Chosen Children the torture they so deserved.

Finally, after all these many years, he would be able to have his vengeance. He had underestimated the Chosen Children a few too many times for his liking. This time, though, it would be different. This time, not only did he know their strengths and weaknesses, but he had infinitely more power and a veritable fountain of new knowledge.

Apoclymon's knowledge had been a particularly interesting find. It spanned a number of different worlds and timelines, and thought the memories were vague, there were a few fleeting images of the Wall of Fire he had crossed through so long ago. There were also images of a massive void, floating between the worlds.

OkamiVamdemon searched through these memories, intrigued by what they held. Everything flitted through his mind quickly, until finally his mind fell on a familiar image. First, there was nothingness—then suddenly, Vamdemon appeared, as he was before. He watched himself reach out and take hold of the data barrier surrounding one of the worlds and puncture a hole in it. Once he stepped inside the barrier, he lost sight of himself.

However, through Apoclymon's eyes, he was able to see the barrier begin to dissolve. Something in its data changed visibly; it must have been from Cherubimon's defeat. Then, quite suddenly, a beam of golden light burst forth from the centre of this world. It reached out into the abyss, weaving through other worlds until it reached its destination.

The human world.

The beam of light had also skimmed across the barrier of one of the other worlds. It seemed to be being pulled in by this strange Digital World he had first entered, and in that process had been hit by this light. The barrier around this world began to dissolve as well, revealing the Digital World he had always known.

With the barriers no longer separating the two worlds, they gravitated toward each other until they had practically collided. They were now spliced together, their data intermingling in a number of places. This explained so many things—Lucemon, for one.

He watched as the space around these two worlds began to warp and change. It twisted around itself, pulling other worlds closer and closer to it. Their barriers remained intact, but it was easy to see that they were straining against the pull of the now-converged Digital Worlds.

This opened up a brand new door of possibilities. After he had taken care of the Chosen, he would be able to merge these other worlds into one. He would create a new world for himself, one where he was in sole command. All would bow to his power and tremble in his presence.

He would truly become a God.

Chapter Text

Iori awoke to a sharp pain in his side. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. He realised he was lying face-down on the ground. With some difficulty, he pushed himself up on his knees, clutching his side as he did. He remembered Vamdemon—or was it OkamiVamdemon now?—appearing from nowhere and trapping them in a strange darkness. The next thing he remembered was being thrown through the air. After that, everything was blank.

He must have hit the ground hard. He ran his hand over the sore spot in his abdomen and winced at the pain. It seemed his ribs were bruised, but thankfully not broken. Though his whole body ached, he was able to stand.

His eyes roved over the ground, searching for his partner. Armadimon was nowhere to be seen. As he looked around, he did not recognise any of his surroundings, nor did he see any of the others. A pang of fear hit him at the thought; he wondered where they were and if they were alright. Still, he steeled himself and found his determination. He had to find out what was going on.

His first priority was to find the others. He had to know they were safe. They must have been scattered about the Digital World in an effort to keep them separated. Did OkamiVamdemon mean to hunt them down individually?

He had to find them...

He winced as he tried to step forward. The ground was unstable at best, and nearly every move he made was met with a falling stone or crumbling surface. He silently thanked his grandfather for teaching him Kendo for all these years; without that training, he likely wouldn't have had the reflexes to react to the ever-changing terrain around him.

He finally managed to land on solid ground. He fell to his knees, clutching at his ribs. Every breath was a strain, and he found himself much more easily winded. He looked back to the debri-filled landscape behind him and a sadness weighed down on him. Was this what the Digital World had come to? How many innocent Digimon were left without a home, without anywhere safe to hide? How many were injured, or worse...?

He pushed the thought from his mind. He couldn't think like that. He had to keep going, to find Armadimon and the others, and fight OkamiVamdemon. It was what he was Chosen to do.

What use would it be, though? Hikari and Takeru had already fought him with the older Chosen Children, only to have him come back more powerful. When they had defeated VenomVamdemon, and they thought he was finally gone for good, he had simply possessed Oikawa-san and used him to become BelialVamdemon.

Did defeating BelialVamdemon three years ago mean nothing? Did Oikawa-san die just for the evil that had possessed him for so long to come back once again? Had his sacrifice to repair the damage to the Digital World been in vain?

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Iori said aloud. "I won't let Oikawa-san's sacrifice mean nothing." He pushed himself to his feet, brushing his hair out of his eyes, and looked out over the Digital World. He wouldn't let it stay like this, not while he was alive.

All he had to do was stay alive...

-------------

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Junpei had almost worn out his voice at this point from yelling. He sighed heavily. He'd been walking for hours, but he hadn't found anyone.

"Hello?" he called again. There was no answer. "It's no use..."

He stopped for a moment to lean his back against a tree. Everything about this world was foreign to him. He didn't recognise a single landmark anywhere. Though, with how everything was torn up right now, he wasn't sure any recognisable landmarks would be standing anyways.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and surveyed the area. He was standing atop a hill, looking out over a valley that appeared to have a lake in the middle of it. He squinted, looking into the distance; it didn't look like things were too bad that way. The sky was getting dark—well, darker—and he'd need a place to sleep for a few hours. Maybe that place would have some shelter.

"You there," he heard a voice say. "Junpei, is it?"

He wheeled around, searching for the source of the sound. He looked down to see a red bird-like Digimon staring up at him expectantly. He jumped back, startled.

"No need for alarm. I am Hawkmon, Miyako's partner."

"Oh, right." He felt somewhat sheepish now. "Is she with you?"

Hawkmon hung his head, looking disheartened. "I was going to ask you the same question."

"I'm sorry," Junpei replied. "We can look for her together if you like."

"Well, company does seem better than being alone, given the state of things. Very well then, I shall accompany you."

"I was planning on heading over there to that lake," Junpei said, pointing toward it. "It doesn't look too broken up over there, and if we don't find anyone we might at least be able to make camp for the night."

"A capital idea." They walked in silence for a time. Junpei looked around; he was right. The land was mostly untouched here, which was a welcome sight after some of the other places he'd seen today.

He turned to Hawkmon and, to fill the silence, said, "Miyako was the one with the purple hair, right?" The Digimon nodded. "She seems pretty cool."

"She is exceptional," Hawkmon replied, as if correcting him. "While I am sure she can handle herself quite capably, I do wish to find her."

"I'm worried about everyone too," Junpei said quietly. They reached the bottom of the hill now, and the trees opened up to a sandy beach. It seemed a number of Digimon had taken refuge here. Some looked to be injured, while others were less roughed up and were taking care of them.

"It seems we might be needed here," Hawkmon noted. "As you said, night will be here soon. Perhaps we should see what we can do to help."

"I guess that's all we can do right now." The two nodded to each other and set to work. Junpei busied himself building a fire, which a number of the refugee Digimon gathered around. Hawkmon helped some of the more able-bodied Digimon gather some food, which Junpei was more than happy to cook for them all. All the while, more and more Digimon were pouring in from every direction, seeking shelter and safety from the destruction around them.

"Thank you so much!" said a Koromon. "You've been such a big help to us all."

Junpei smiled. "No need to thank us. It's part of being a Chosen. We take care of the Digital World and all the Digimon."

"That's right," Hawkmon agreed. "Although, I will admit that it would be much easier with Miyako here..."

"Who's Miyako?"

Junpei whipped around, elated to hear such a familiar voice. "Neemon?!"

"Junpei! Bokomon, come quick, it's Junpei!"

"Bokomon is here too?" From behind a bush, Bokomon appeared. He and Neemon threw themselves at Junpei, who held his arms outstretched to the both of them. They embraced happily. Then, Bokomon looked up at him and said, "Where are the others?"

"I don't know. We were separated."

"I see..." Bokomon looked thoughtful for a moment. He looked over to Neemon, who stared blankly at him and said, "What?"

"The girl. I wonder if she knows anything."

"But she's still sleeping," Neemon said.

"Girl? What girl?" Junpei perked up immediately. Bokomon motioned for him to follow and said, "This way."

Bokomon led them away from the fire and toward a small gathering of Digimon. They were all sitting in a circle around something. In the midst of them lay a girl, unconscious.

"Miyako!" Hawkmon rushed forward and glued himself to his partner's side. She was bruised in several places on her body, and her face had a rather large cut on it.

"She landed not too far from here and we all carried her," Neemon said. "She was asleep the whole time."

"Is she another Warrior?" Bokomon asked, looking to Junpei.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "No, she's a different kind of Chosen. Hawkmon here is her partner."

"Partner? Hmm."

"Look, she's waking!" Hawkmon cried. Miyako stirred, her eyes opening slowly. She groaned, barely moving, and Hawkmon leaned in and said softly, "Miyako, speak to me."

"H-Hawkmon?" Her voice was hoarse, and she tried to sit up. She winced, clutching at her sides.

"Miyako, are you alright?" Hawkmon asked.

"I think I broke something." She traced her hand along her ribs and grimaced. "Yeah, that's definitely broken." She reached a hand up to feel her cheek and closed her eyes for a moment, as if she were silently counting to ten so as to not freak out.

"Hey, we made a fire over there," Junpei offered. He held out his hand to her and added, "I'll help you." She nodded, and he slung her arm up around his shoulder and helped her to her feet. She winced again, instinctively clutching at her side once more.

"Sorry," Junpei said. He moved slowly, easing her toward the fire as gently as he could. Once there, he helped her sit down again, for which she thanked him.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I'm fine. I must have landed somewhere a little softer than you, I think."

"Lucky you." She grimaced, leaning against a large rock for support. "Have you seen any of the others?"

"Just you and Hawkmon. Well, and Bokomon and Neemon."

"Who?"

"They're friends of ours from the Digital World we went to."

"Ah. I'm glad they're alright." She tried to stand, adding, "We should find the others as well."

"It's getting dark," Junpei pointed out, "and you're in no condition to go anywhere right now. Get some rest, and we'll find them in the morning."

"Ugh. You're probably right." She nodded, leaning back against the rock once more and closing her eyes. Hawkmon settled in next to her, keeping an eye on her as she fell asleep.

Junpei stood, looking out over the makeshift refugee camp that had sprouted up in the last few hours. Most of the Digimon were asleep at this point, including Bokomon and Neemon. A few remained awake, keeping a silent watch on the area. Junpei absentmindedly stoked the fire, his gaze wandering toward the sky. There were no stars, and no moons—just a vast expanse of inky emptiness.

Was this the future of the Digital World? Where once there were billions of stars, there was now nothing. The ground was constantly rupturing around them. Would it all be destroyed?

No. Not if he had anything to say about it. He was one of the Chosen Children, a Legendary Warrior. It was his job to make sure that didn't happen. He'd find the others; he'd already found Miyako and Hawkmon, and Bokomon and Neemon too, which was a good start. Then, when they were all together again, they'd fight OkamiVamdemon and save the Digital World.

Chapter Text

"Is anyone here? Hello...?" Sora called out for what seemed like the thousandth time, but there was no answer. She sighed, feeling defeated. It was no use. No one had answered her, no matter how loud she yelled. 

She looked out over the crumbled wilderness around her. Worry filled every part of her as she wondered where the other Chosen were. They'd been scattered to the winds—quite literally. Sora had sprained her ankle pretty severely in the fall. She wondered how many of the others were injured, or worse...

"No, I won't think like that," she told herself. She just had to keep thinking that they were alright, that she just had to find them. She pulled her Digivice from her pocket and looked at the tiny screen, hoping against hope she would see that familiar blinking red dot that meant one of the others was nearby. Instead, there was nothing. 

Sora hung her head, discouraged. She didn't even have Piyomon with her. What if someone was in trouble? What if she found herself in trouble? How was she supposed to fight without her partner? 

What if Piyomon was hurt? She couldn't bear it if anything happened to her. They were supposed to protect each other. 

She just had to keep looking. She steeled herself and took a step forward. Her ankle immediately buckled under her weight and she swayed, catching herself on a nearby rock. She cursed aloud; she'd have to move slowly, which wasn't exactly helpful right now. 

She scanned the ground and her her eyes fell on a fallen branch. She reached for it, leaning on it to test its strength. It wasn't going to help much, but every little bit would count. She trimmed away the stray twigs and leaned on it once more. 

"Alright, off I go," she muttered to herself. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew she had to try and find the others before something happened to them. 

-------------

Akiryomon awoke suddenly, sitting bolt upright. She remembered darkness, sudden and vast, and then nothing. She turned, looking for Yukira, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

She sniffed the air, hoping to pick up a familiar scent. Nothing. She shot up, sprinting on all fours through the forest she was in. The earth rumbled beneath her paws, threatening to shake apart again, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. She had to find them. 

She flitted here and there, between the trees and over and around and through, running until she was completely out of breath. She stopped, searching frantically and feeling a panic set into her. What if Yuki-chan was hurt? What if she couldn't protect her? What if...?

She ran again, her eyes darting every which way. There was nothing to be seen but trees and rocks and grass. Worry overtook her, and she ran faster. Her body ached with the strain of it, but she couldn't stop. 

Suddenly, she felt something hit one of her legs and tripped, rolling across the ground. When she stopped, she shook her head and reoriented herself, looking to see what she had tripped over. It was Taichi. 

He lay there on the ground, unconscious. As she moved closer, she saw that he was injured. Half of his face was black and blue, with a few cuts scattered across it. There was a large splinter of wood sticking out of his shoulder, which was soaked with blood. She gasped and laid her head on his chest, listening intently. Though it was shallow, he was breathing. 

"Taichi." She nudged him gently. He did not move. She nuzzled his face, and he stirred. "Taichi, wake up."

He groaned, his eyes flickering open. He looked up at her with a dazed expression and muttered, "Who is it?" 

"Akiryomon," she replied. "Don't move. You're hurt." 

Of course, what was the first thing he did? Move. He cried out loudly and clutched at his bloody shoulder. His eyes widened as he pulled his hand away to see it covered in blood. 

"What the hell?" he panted. 

"I told you not to move," Akiryomon said. "You've got a piece of wood stuck in there." He stared at her, panic-stricken, as if in disbelief. Then, he turned to look at his shoulder. His face drained of colour and he quickly looked away. He'd been injured before—even broken his arm once. But this...this was gruesome. 

He felt his stomach turn and he shuddered. He reached his hand up once again to feel the splinter sticking out of his body. There was just enough sticking out that he could grab onto it. Before Akiryomon could stop him, he grasped it firmly and ripped it out. 

Blood spattered the ground and he felt himself grow faint. He swayed where he sat, but managed to catch himself before he fell. He swallowed hard and tears stung his eyes at the immense pain now coursing through the entire right side of his upper body. 

" Baka! What did you do that for?!" Akiryomon cried. 

"Well, it couldn't stay in there, could it?" He reached up, gripping his shoulder tightly in an effort to stop the bleeding. He looked at his arm, now dripping with blood, and sighed. He noticed his sleeve was torn, and he grabbed hold of it and ripped it the rest of the way off. 

"Think you can tie this around my shoulder?" he asked, holding the piece of cloth out to Akiryomon. She nodded, tying it tightly around the wound. He winced and growled low in his throat, his fist clenching tightly against the pain. 

"Where is Yukira?" he asked through gritted teeth. 

Akiryomon looked up at him and shook her head. "I don't know. I woke up and couldn't find her." 

He couldn't help but notice the panic in her voice. "It's alright, we'll find her. Have you seen anyone else?" 

"Just you." 

"Then we better get moving." With great difficulty, Taichi pushed himself up onto his knees. His face blanched again, and he had to will himself to remain conscious. He took a deep breath to steady himself and tried to stand. He swayed and fell, hitting the ground hard. 

"Dammit!" he cried. He took another deep breath and forced himself up into a sitting position. 

"Taichi, don't..." 

"No, I'll be fine," he said through gritted teeth. Once again, he tried to stand. Once again, he swayed, but this time he managed to catch himself before he fell. He felt dizzy and nauseous, and his whole body ached. 

"Come on," he said hoarsely. He took a step, and Akiryomon followed. Hopefully, the rest of them were in better condition than he was.