Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When the stars were young, the Digital World only knew one thing: war. They called it the Origin War. Ancient Digimon, brimming with power and the elements themselves, fought and shaped the very planet they lived on. Destruction, pain, and devastation stretched even towards the three moons of the Digital World to the point their fighting threatened to destroy their home itself.

Before the breaking point, The Great One appeared. Leading 5 Digimon, The Great One ended the Origin War and saved both Digimon and the Digital World.

However, he spent much of his power healing the devastated world. He would need to slumber for a long time before his powers were restored. But before he could retreat into slumber, The Great One instated his followers as the 5 Pillars. These Digimon would rule and guard the Digital World in his stead.

Not only that, he imposed Sacred Laws on the surviving Digimon.

One. "Rules above the life of others. Whosoever denies this rule forfeits their life."

Two. "To prevent another war of many armies, no settlement will surpass a population of 50 unless they are followers of the Pillars."

Three. "Never trust another. They may plot against you and the peace of this world."

Four. "Survival of one's self is the most important."

Five. "Keep secrets except to the Seven."

Six. "The 5 Pillars must hunt down all Evil Digimon."

Seven. "Do not question the Sacred Laws."

The Laws imposed on the Digital World would be followed. However, there was one last thing The Great One imparted on the Digital World: a Prophecy of the End of the Digital World.

"In the Unknown Future, there will be these strange creatures known as Humans. Be warned: they will usher the end of the Digital World through The Final War. To prevent this, any Human found must either be captured and sent to the Pillars."

And with that warning, The Great One went into a deep slumber.

But one day, The Great One will return and bring peace to the—

"Why do you keep reading that story, Lulu?" A Coronamon whined as he picked up fruit from a bush and placed it into the basket he carried.

"It's not just a story, Coco," A Lunamon harshly scolded her brother. "It's history!"

"Yeah, but you keep repeating it. Don't you have anything new to say?" With one hop, the rookie reached a tree and grabbed two more fruits. He jumped down and dumped them in the basket.

Lulu huffed as she put the book aside. "Elder Kyubimon doesn't have any other books! And all Owlmon has is scribbles of his notes. Maybe when we're of age, we can travel the Digital World!"

The holy rookie frowned. "But I like living in Email Beach. Great food, great view, clean air, and shade to have the best naps in. What more can ya want?"

Lunamon looked to the sky as if she was searching for something that she didn't even know. "...Haven't you wondered what's beyond where we live? What the other Continents are like? Maybe where we came from before Elder Kyubimon found us?"

"No. Not really." After a slight pause, Coco pushed one basket full of food inside a cart and picked up the other. "And are you just going to sit there looking dumb, or are you going to help me with our chores!?"

"Ugh!" Lulu rolled her eyes. "You better have not brought poisoned mushrooms and fruits again! Do you remember what happened last time?!"

"Hey, I know better now!" Coco turned away and pushed away several bushes. "At least I wasn't dumb enough to eat them when I first saw them!"

Lulu shot back. "No one is dumb enough to eat everything they see!"

Coco turned ahead.

...

...

Lulu spotted her brother freeze where he stood. "Coco? What's the matter?" When the Lunamon looked behind her brother, she saw an interesting sight.

Or rather, two interesting things. There were two Digimon that the siblings have never seen or heard of. One was a blue dragon/dinosaur, and the other was a pink-skinned humanoid Digimon with goggles on his head.

The Digimon with googles lifted his head, showing bloodshot eyes, saliva flowing from his mouth, and raised an arm towards the two in a way that almost looked like he wanted to grab them both.

"H-Help, please!" He gasped...? Maybe? It was hard to tell with how his face was red, puffy, and liquids that the two never saw before were leaking out of his orifices.

Still, the two reacted calmly to the grotesque and disturbing sight.

"HHHYYAYAAAAAAH!?"

"So you guys ate the poisoned mushrooms? Well, don't worry, it's not deadly, but you're both going to feel bad for a few days." Coco grunted as he pulled on the cart that held both strange Digimon. "You might even get married. Piyomon was funny for a few days saying she was the wife of a Justimon. It got a lot less funny when she treated 10 big rocks as her children."

"Guuuhh, Tai. I'm seeing double." The blue Digimon whined.

"It's better than seeing sixteen of the same guys all over the place, Zero." The other Digimon responded as he grabbed his head.

"Where did you two come from?" Lulu asked as she ran around the cart, taking in every strange feature of the two newcomers. "What species are you? Did you travel far? Are you traveling? Have you been to the other continents? What are they like? What's that weird device on your arm?"

"Ugh, 100 percent combination," The Digimon known as Tai gulped before slumping back into the cart. "Digivice 01!"

"Lulu, they're still disoriented. They can't even say a sentence without sounding like half their mind is still trapped behind the poison." Coco felt annoyed that he had to lug both the newcomers and their food while his sister was too focused on her questions.

Eventually, the two reached Email Beach. Their village was a quaint one, filled with wooden houses, pier-like pathways, and palm roofs. But as Coco said, the air was always wonderful, and the view of the ocean was calming.

A crowd gathered around the siblings as they not only brought back food but strangers as well. Coco and Lulu pushed forward towards Elder Kyubimon's house with the two strangers in tow.

As they entered through the house, an old but gentle voice called to them. "Lulu. Coco. I'm hearing quite the stir. Did Coco bring poisoned fruit again?"

"Why does no one let that go?! Lulu wasn't even helping me that time because she was too busy reading that book!" Coco screamed.

However, before his sister could give her argument, Kyubiimon gave a laugh akin to a spring breeze. "Is there a moment that you two don't bicker? Now, what's truly gotten people to crowd around my dusty house?"

Coco pushed forward the cart. "These strangers ate the poisoned fruit and mushrooms."

Lulu stepped forward. "But we don't know what species they are. And they're too... disoriented... to say what they are."

"Tai, that ball of floof is talking." "What? I want cotton candy."

The Elder moved forward to look at the two in the cart. Her attention focused on the smaller Digimon's device wrapped around his hand. She seemed quieter than usual before she looked at Coco. "Please get Owlmon to concoct an antidote again and place them in one of the emptied huts."

When the siblings left to obey her orders, Kyubimon looked towards her drawer. Using her tails, she opened a secret compartment and pulled out a book that was worn out by time. Then she pulled out a small black box and opened the contents. A small glow of green came out of the box before she shut it close.

She sighed. "If I am wrong. This will only be one more story to tell. If I am right, our village may be doomed."

-Please. Come. Back.

"Ugghh. W-What? Who said," Tai Yagami woke up to see a wooden ceiling instead of the empty blue sky. For the briefest of seconds, Tai thought he was finally back home since he saw a roof above and felt a bed below him. However, after he saw Zero sleeping in a bed beside him, and after the realization that he never lived near a beach, Taichi Kamiya sighed.

"You're awake!?" The shrill voice made the teen turn towards a Digimon he had never seen before. "Ooh! Ooh! My name is Lulu, a Lunamon! What kind of Digimon are you?"

"The name's Taichi Yagami! And I'm a," He was interrupted when Zero woke up with a grunt.

"Ooh! Tai. I don't feel so good." Zero awoke with a groan. As soon as he said this, Tai also felt like he was about to puke.

"Ah! Right, your bodies are trying to reject the poison you both ate! Here, drink this!" Lulu put a bowl of pink liquid on the drawer near Tai and Zero.

The two downed the drinks, only to do a spit take towards each other the moment the taste settled on their tongues.

"Hey! You're supposed to down it!" The Lunamon put her hands on her hips.

"Lulu, you do remember that we both did the same thing as those guys when we first drank Owlmon's medicine. Oh, I'm Coco, the Coronamon. I had to pull you both the whole way back to the village." He said before he threw towels at the heads of the two newcomers.

"Hey!" Zero yelped after being pelted by a towel thrown by a rookie. "Watch where you're throwing that!"

"I was. I threw it at you two." The sun-themed Digimon gave an icy glare.

"Oh, don't mind Coco, he's just being a Numemon!" The moon-themed Digimon smiled warmly at the two. "Anyway, get some rest, and I can give you a tour of the village!"

Tai, seeing no real reason to deny their hospitality, nodded once. In the meantime, he pointed his device down on the medicine. No one but him noticed the data his device downloaded from the scan.

When the two healed up, Lulu showed them around while Coco shadowed the two. Tai found it funny how the moon-like Digimon was so sunny and cheerful while the sun-styled Digimon looked cold and distant. All things considered, the tamer was glad that he and Zero finally found a settlement after traveling of just fighting random champion Digimon. But he got the feeling that this place wouldn't have the answers as to how he and Zero got into the Digital World the first place. On the bright side, they found a place to stock up and maybe re-visit in the future.

"We should probably make sure you two meet Elder Kyubimon." Coco managed to say at the end of their tour.

"What's the rush!?" Lulu quickly interjected. "We can still show them the sailboards! You two will love surf gliding!"

"Lulu," Coco interjected while folding his arms. "aren't you being a bit too overbearing?"

"No, I'm being hospitable! It's obvious you don't want them here and are trying to get rid of them!"

"That's because we don't know them!"

Tai rubbed the back of his head as he watched the two bicker. "We're not here to cause—"

"Well, that's why we're socializing, you dingus!" Lulu interrupted as the two began to bicker back and forth.

"Ah," Zero and Tai looked to their rights to see Owlmon walking up to them with his eyes on the two rookies. "I suppose there isn't a day that goes by without those two arguing. Whoot~!" The champion turned to the newcomers. "You must be the strangers the two siblings picked up. I am Owlmon, just a lowly scholar in this lovely town. Whoot~!"

"I'm Tai. This is Zero." The young teen looked back at the two, who were still arguing. "They're siblings?"

The two bickering made Tai feel even more homesick. This reminded him of his little sister. He loved his little sister, but there were times she got on his nerves because she knew what buttons to push. Seeing the two rookies act like siblings made him realize that as nice as this place was, it wasn't his home.

"Hey, hey!" Tai walked forward to interrupt the two. "It's alright. Zero and I wanna meet this Elder too."

"We do?" The blue Digimon tilted his head.

"Yeah. To give us any clue for our journey." The brunette answered. "So where's the place this old man Kyubimon hangs out?"

"She lives in the northern area of the village. Over this way." Coco pointed and started to move ahead of the group.

"W-Wait! Coco! It's still too soon to go!" Lulu chased after her brother.

Zero and Tai walked after the two. But Owlmon raised his wing. "Before you go, please pique my curiosity: what Digimon are you?~Whoot?"

"Zero is apparently a V-Dramon." Tai pointed to his partner but saw the avian Digimon look confused, as he didn't recognize the name. "But I'm not a Digimon. I'm a human."

That, Tai thought, seemed to be the wrong thing to say. He and Zero weren't expecting the avian Digimon to jump up without flapping his wings and land almost falling down. "Hu-hu-hu-~WHHOOT!?" Odd, why did Owlmon seem so panicky? "E-Excu-Ex~WHoot!" The Owl Digimon suddenly flew away from the two.

"What's his problem?" Zero asked as they spotted the Digimon slam his door shut.

"I don't know," Tai felt his instincts turn on edge. "But we should go after Coco and Lulu. Stay on guard."

Owlmon quickly slammed the door to his hut before he fished what looked to be a crystal orb. As he took it out, it started to glow.

"Who is it?" A garbled voice asked as the crystal shined.

"A human! We have a human here! ~Whoot!"

It didn't take long before the two travelers went to meet with the Elder of Email Beach.

Tai noticed that Kyubimon's house wasn't any different from all the other beach houses. Though, it did have a nice view of the sun starting to set.

"Welcome, travelers. I hope that Coco and Lulu did not drive both of you to insanity." To Zero and Tai, The Elder sounded more motherly than old.

"Nah, they're alright." Tai dismissed. "They remind me of me and my sister when we don't get along." Though, they didn't argue as bad as the two rookies.

"I see. Now, may I ask what you were doing when these two found you?"

That caused the travelers to flush. "We- uhh," Tai stammered. "We were hungry." Tai supposed that eating random things off the ground wasn't a sound idea, but the two had been traveling and fighting for two days, so they were getting desperate. Yeesh, some end for the 100 Percent Combination. If they didn't accidentally stumble near Coco and Lulu, they probably would have died. "So we ate some things we probably shouldn't have."

Kyubimon smiled. "Yes, File Island may be the calmer of the continents, but it still has its dangers here and there."

"Continents?" Tai asked.

"Yeah," Lulu pointed a hand up. "The five Continents: File, Folder, Portfolio, Document, and Binder. We're in File, the smallest continent."

Coco crossed his arms. "It's weird you guys don't know that."

"We kinda just got dragged in here with no idea why we got here. We're just trying to find a way back home," Tai answered.

"Where did you come from if not the five continents? Are you from one of the moon civilizations!?" Lulu gasped.

"No, no. Zero and I came from the Human world." When he said this for the first time, he was somewhat unsure. However, seeing everyone else's reactions only proved the word Human carried weight in the Digital World.

All three Digimon stared at him with varying levels of shock.

"You're a human?!" Coco pointed to Tai before looking to Zero. "Are you one too!?"

"No! I'm V-Dramon! But why are you guys so surprised about Tai?"

"Human!? How can this be?!" Lunamon asked with a gasp.

Tai raised his brow. "Why are you acting like that?!"

It seemed like everyone was about to shout questions at each other until they heard one word.

"Everyone," Kyubimon's voice made everyone focus on her. After letting the silence still, she turned to Tai and Zero. "To the two travelers: if you do not know, Humans are omens and signs of the End of the Digital World. Our rules dictate if they are found, they are to be killed on the spot or captured and sent to one of the Pillars, the governing force of our world."

"What!? There's no way I'm letting anyone hurt Tai! And there's no way he would cause the end of the world!" Zero cried out.

"But the stories!" Lulu gasped. "They said that Humans would be the sign of the end times! It's one of the laws!"

"I don't want to hurt anyone, let alone cause the end of a world that's the same species as my partner here!" The human defended himself.

Kyubimon flared her tails, getting everyone's attention back to her. She stared into Tai's eyes. For a second, everyone else was nervous. Yet, Tai seemed to calm down as he stared into the old Digimon's eyes. Kyubimon looked deeper...

-Renamon! Digi-card energize!

Before she broke eye contact and shook her head. "You are true to your word." She began. "However, that does not mean the Prophecy is wrong. At the very least, I must ask you to leave. If anyone outside this room found out you were a human..."

"Uhhh, what about Owlmon?" Zero blurted out.

Kyubimon's reaction was to stare at the dragon Digimon with widened eyes.

Tai felt the tension in the room start to change, and not for the better. "He asked first, and I told him I was human. How bad can it be?"

Kyubimon fell to the floor, losing all ability to stand.

"Okay, that bad," Tai commented under his breath as he and the others tried to help up Kyubimon.

The Elder soon stood up back up. She sighed deeply before saying, "Alright, I need you two to do a favor for me."

"What is it?" Tai asked before the Elder pointed two tails to touch the pair's foreheads.

"Forgive me." With a flash of light in her eyes, Tai and Zero suddenly fell to the ground unconscious. On both their foreheads, symbols of seals started to form. She turned to the stunned siblings. "Coco, prepare all our restraints on the two and rework the fruit bins as a cell. Lulu, go to Owlmon and work on relocating the others. They need to leave here for a while."

"B-But Elder! You said it yourself that they don't mean any harm! W-Why are we?" Lulu got interrupted from her shouting when their elder opened a compartment and shoved both an old book and a small box to her.

"Go. Now." That was all Kyubimon said before the two started to move.

-I do not know if these words will even last more than a single morning after, but it must be said. Something is wrong with this world. I feel as if I have memories that do not belong to me. Some where I am evil and do cruel things, but in others where I find redemption. But they are all tied to one thing: humans. I see glimpses of times where there is someone I'm standing beside, fighting beside... who? Who are you? And why do I keep crying thinking of you?

Lunamon didn't understand this old book. It was supposedly written by the founder of the town, an Ikkakumon. Yet, the scroll felt more like the ravings of someone insane. And then there was the box that Elder Kyubimon gave her. Lulu was curious and had opened the box earlier. But, all it showed was some strange, cracked, and stone object with markings similar to the odd device on the Human Tai's hand.

"Lulu?!" Coco's voice snapped the Digimon out of her stupor as she quickly closed the box. "Everyone's packed up and left to the beach caves. We should go too."

"No! We can't!" Lulu shouted defiantly. "What about Tai and Zero?! They're innocent! I can't believe we're just going to let them get taken!"

"Ugh! Why are you fighting so hard for them!?" Coco asked and shouted.

"Because!" Luna screamed. "Even if they annoy you, I know that you think this isn't right that they would be treated as criminals when they've done nothing wrong!"

Coco shut up very quickly. He looked back to his sister. "That's for me. But you didn't answer my question. I know what's going to happen to them isn't right if the rumors are even half true. But what about you? I know that you've always wanted more, and I always knew that when our home eventually reached the population cap, you would have been the first one to leave. You saw these two as a chance to move out faster, didn't you?"

The Lunamon also got quiet. If she could see through Coco, the Coronamon could see through her.

Coco sighed. "Come on."

"I'm not leaving them."

"That's not what I meant. We'll take one of the gliders, the black one. I know you've been using that to sail-surf at night even with the curfew. We'll hide in the sea until we see how they're coming and rescue Tai and Zero."

Lulu's eyes brightened at what her brother was proposing. "You mean it?"

"Yeah. But we gotta figure out what to do with me. You know I'm a glowing nightlight."

"Well," Lulu formed a smile on her face. "Leave that to me."

Kyubimon and Owlmon stood alone in the docks. Zero and Tai were still asleep but restrained by rope and the champion's seal.

"Oh my. Oh my~ Whoot!" The Owlmon pranced back and forth. "T-This is unprecedented! I assumed that humans were only boogeymen we tell to children so they'd stay out of the dangerous areas, but who knew they were real! Whoot! Oh dear! Oh dear! Is the world coming to an end already!? Whoot! Whoot!"

Kyubimon remained silent as Owlmon pranced back and forth. It might have been better if he had never reported it. But how could the avian champion have known? She didn't know until the last elder passed on the founder's journal, which she passed on to Lulu and Coco.

Meanwhile, some distance in the sea, Lunamon gasped.

"What?" Coco asked as he lifted the cloak he was hiding under. "You sound spoked."

"C-Coco, do you know why Kyubimon asked us to evacuate the village?"

Coco checked the sail and made sure they were stabilized. "I have a bad feeling you're about to tell me why."

"There used to be three other settlements besides us on the beach. The Notebook confirms our founder helped make other nearby villages."

Coco looked back and saw only their home all across the rather large, spanning beach. "Oh." His one word making him realize why Kyubimon was so adamant to evacuate everyone else. "Anything specific you wanna add?"

"The other cities, they broke the population rule. And well..." Lulu closed the book. "It's why ours was so strict in kicking those able out at even the '40s."

"But, aren't we obeying the law? We're turning in the human... kinda." Coco asked.

"Coco, our founder put two words down the day after the Pillar's army attacked the other villages: No survivors."

The Coronamon was starting to regret this talking his sister into this plan. "That's... a bit extreme. I knew we weren't supposed to break them—but?"

Lulu shushed her brother and looked onto the horizon. "Do you see that?"

"No, you're better at seeing in the dark, remember?"

"I've never seen something like it before. But it looks like some giant metal floating canoe?"

"Boat?" Kyubiimon repeated in confusion.

Owlmon kept his eye on the ship as it came closer. "Yes, the representatives of the Pillar of File Continent said they would be arriving by sea in a metal boat. I just wasn't expecting it to look so..."

Dilapidated? Worn-out? Dangerous? Kyubimon thought of these words.

"Magnificient." Owlmon finished his words. "To think we are witnessing an item born from the Origin War!"

Kyubimon stayed silent even as the ship came close enough to dock. She did not like how the clouds obscured the usually clear skies. At the edge of the ship, someone was standing on the very end.

Then she saw the wings unfurl in a way that showed that the length was more than both she and Owlmon combined.

The being jumped off and landed between the two. "I am Devimon." The being radiated with sadism and cunning. "I was told that you two had captured... a human?"

"Right this way, loyal follower of the Great One!" Owlmon pointed a wing to Zero and Tai.

"Ahh. Well done. I'm sure the Pillar of File Island will appreciate your efforts." He turned to the ship. "Take him."

A ramp of steel fell from the ship and landed with enough force to shatter the humble port of the beach city. Four Commandramon scurried out and rushed for the cage before carrying it on their ship.

"You have my deepest thanks," Devimon gave a showy bow. "Because of you, the peace of the Digital world has been kept."

"Why! Thank you. Whoot!" Owlmon flushed while Kyubimon felt her instinct telling her to get ready for something.

"What? What's this!? Oh my! You've all been tainted!" Devimon suddenly exclaimed. "It is such a shame. A Human's vile presence can poison all Digimon that come into contact with them."

"T-Taint? What taint? Whoot?" Owlmon asked as Devimon stepped closer to the Champion.

"Owlmon, get away from him!" Kyubimon shouted.

Her cry came too late as Devimon's arm pierced through the torso of the Digimon.

Owlmon gasped as he realized what had happened. "A-Andy... Andy? Why did I forget you, Andy?"

"Tsk. Tsk." Devimon threw the Champion's body into the water. "I'm afraid there's no healing him. You've all been tainted by the presence of the abominable human. I'm afraid that the only way to cure you all... is to purge the land." Devimon snapped his fingers as a dozen or so Commandramon swarmed out of the ramp and started firebombing the peaceful village.

"No!" Kyubimon cried out before avoiding a blast in the shape of claw marks.

"Oh? You've seem to be especially tainted, poor lost soul." Devimon laughed.

"IceDevimon!" Kyubimon shouted before she realized what she had screamed. She shook her head as her vision seemed to switch between a white and cold version of the being in front of her.

Devimon extended his wings. "Laser Wings!" A powerful energy beam shot out of his wings and nailed the Kyubimon dead on while she was still distracted.

Devimon smiled before he noticed something. Or rather, the distinct lack of screams of pain and agony.

"Where are the people?" He spread his wings and started flying to where Kyubimon got blasted.

Some time ago, Coco and Lulu snuck up behind the boat, and both started to climb into the open holes of the rusted battleship. As the two snuck upward, they heard the sound of fire and the cries of their town Elder.

They looked out a hole and saw Owlmon get killed along with followers of the Pillar starting to attack their home.

"W-What are they doing?" Coco asked in disbelief.

Lulu stared as their house started to burn. A familiar feeling came over to her. Her mind started to show her in a place filled with ice, and she was standing next to... a human?

-"Sayo!? What are we going to do!?" "I'll tell you what we won't do: give up! Now let's go save Chief Julia!"

Lulu shook her head and found herself back at the present. "Coco, we need to find Tai and Zero!"

Her brother nodded, and the two ran as fast as they could. Some Commandramon accidentally came upon the two, but just as quickly, they were tossed aside as the sibling duo fought with more experience than two peaceful rookies should have.

It didn't take long for the two to find and spot Tai and Zero being carried by four of the Commandramon. When they saw the two opposing rookies, they dropped the cage and reached for their guns. Coco rushed in and punched the first one on the right as his other hand gathered light, and he threw it at the one behind him. Similarly, Lulu fired a chunk of ice strong enough to push both Commandramon off into the water. The two quickly opened the cage.

"Uh oh." Coco noticed. "They still have Kyubimon's sleep seal on them."

Lulu heard the sounds of footsteps heading in their direction. They must have heard the sound of fighting elsewhere on the ship.

However, the lunar rookie had this feeling. Her mind shifted again, but she didn't recognize where or who was talking to her. However, she felt like she knew what to do.

"Coco, hold them off for a bit!" Lulu said before she started to climb up on Tai and grab a hold of his face. The Coronamon nodded and ran to hide behind the corner. When the first wave started to turn, Coco suddenly intercepted and pushed them all back with a light blast.

In the meantime, Lulu stretched her arm out. "Oh, I really hope this works."

Kyubimon gasped as she woke up. However, she felt too weak to move and found that the debris of her house was all over her. "I've gotten sloppy. If she saw me now, she'd be disappointed. ... Wait, if who saw me now?"

"Oh dear, it seems you are too far gone." Kyubimon looked up to see Devimon towering over her. "You see, what isn't written in the rules is that when Digimon see a human, they grow insane with madness. They claim that the world isn't right and that there is no such thing as the 5 Pillars of the world! It's madness like that we work so tirelessly to cleanse and keep the peace of the Digital World." He shook his head. "But don't worry, I'll make sure your death will be swift. Just tell me: where are the others in this village? I doubt only two Champions could build such a settlement."

Kyubimon only made her eyes glow. Sensing an attack coming, Devimon quickly sent out his claw to strike the heart of Kyubimon. However, Devimon noticed the distinct lack of any spiritual or energy-like attack Kyubimon's kind was known for.

"What was that?" Devimon asked before he heard an explosion on the ship he just heard.

"That," Kyubimon coughed but held a defiant look in her eyes. "Is the sound of a false world starting to unravel."

It was only a matter of time before their number advantage took over the tough rookie. Coco supposed being pinned down instead of being turned into cheese was the lesser evil.

"V-Arrow Breath!" Coco heard a voice even with a dog pile over him. Within a second, a powerful shockwave blew all the Commandramon on top of him away. The rookie turned to see both Tai and V-Dramon!

... Why were their faces red?

"So uh," Coco looked down to his sister, who sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Slapping them silly doesn't undo the seal?"

"We're going to have words about how you two keep waking us up." Tai fixed his cloak and googles. "But for now? Zero and I still owe you guys for your hospitality. So seeing these guys burn down your homes?"

"Right, Tai." Zero got in position. "An army of rookies don't stand a chance against us, the 100 Percent Combination!"

"The human is awake!?" Devimon screamed before he shook his head and calmed himself down. "No, it's fine. Nothing short of an Ultimate can stop me. And the only ones on File are protecting The Pillar of Isolation. I'll just tell Lord Kyukimon that there was a complication, and the human needed to be killed." He looked down on Kyubimon. "However, your death will not be as swift or as painless."

Devimon plunged his claws deeper into Kyubimon, making her gasp in pain. She screamed in pain before Devimon thought he was wasting too much time and ripped up the rest of her torso. Devimon flew away towards the fighting happening on his ship. All the while, Kyubimon's vision started to fade. However, she finally saw something clearly that had been muddled before: a red-headed girl wearing a shirt with a blue heart on it.

Tears started to fall as her data rose to the skies. How could she forget her? What was wrong with this world? Was this the price of their peace? But those questions started to fade as Kyubimon only focused on her. "Ri...ka..."

Lulu and Coco watched in amazement as Zero and Tai made quick work of the Commandramon. Their bullets weren't enough to pierce through Zero's thick skin, and whenever one tried to use a grenade, Tai spotted and quickly pointed his device at Zero. Then, the Dragon would somehow know where the grenade would get thrown and fire a V-Arrow Breath right into it before it even reached halfway towards him.

However, the flow of Commandramon stopped when they all looked up and saw something obscuring the already dark skies.

"You've had your fun, human." Devimon started. "But unless you and your little pet surrender, I'm afraid that you're both going to either drown in the ocean or get the same treatment as the fox." He laughed as he motioned to the sharp parts of his claws.

Tai's eyes narrowed towards Devimon. Kyubimon may have captured them, but he knew she didn't want to send them away. Her last words to him were to forgive them. And to hear someone caring and gentle died to someone as sadistic as this? That made Tai's blood boil.

"Zero?"

The V-dramon snarled. "Don't worry, Tai. I know. V-Arrow Breath!" The attack sailed through the sky. However, Devimon easily avoided the attack.

"Is that all you got?" Devimon snapped his fingers. Then, the others heard more Commandramon en route to the main deck. Coco got back up and rushed to intercept the reinforcements. Lulu followed after her brother. "We got the others! Take him out for Kyubimon!" She shouted to Tai and Zero.

"Tch! I was wondering where most of the locals were. It appears they've been in hiding." Devimon looked down and avoided another attack from V-dramon. "Right, then there's you! Laser Wing!"

Zero unleashed another V-arrow breath to meet with the attack, and it caused an explosion in the air and a dust cloud to obscure all vision of the area.

Devimon could not see beyond the cloud, so he wasn't expecting a second attack to go through the smoke and smash right into him.

What!? How!? Devimon thought as he started falling down. As he did, he saw a flash of red coming from the human's wrist. Then, an idea started to form in his mind.

Devimon smirked as he fell to the ground like a raindrop. However, Tai knew that the fall didn't hurt Devimon at all. If the guy looked like a biblical devil, assume dark powers. Tai has seen those American horror movies before.

But the tamer wondered how he would get out of this predicament. Devimon could strike anywhere. Wait. No. There was one place Tai knew Devimon would aim for.

"Zero, when I give the signal. Fire, alright?"

"You got it!" Zero exclaimed while still searching for any sign of Devimon. Tai pressed buttons on his digivice but held off the send button. If this wouldn't work... well, he wouldn't have to worry about a haircut anymore, at the very least.

Behind Tai, Devimon rose from his shadow. He reclined his claw arm back, ready to strike down the easy target. However, Devimon felt the need to look to his right. When he did, he saw a cracked window. In the reflection of the shattered window, Tai already spotted him. Devimon realized his mistake and tried to follow through, but Tai was prepared long before he appeared and ducked forward with a roll. He pointed his Digivice at Devimon before a flash of red light hit Devimon's left eye.

"Gah!" The demon Digimon cried out. His senses seemed to pick up that while he screamed, the human yelled something—

"V-Arrow Breath!" Another blast hit Devimon square in the chest and knocked him into the docks. But like before, Devimon slipped into the shadows like water.

"Darn it! He got away." Zero cursed before Tai raised his hand.

"Not quite."

Meanwhile, Devimon tried to think of his next attack until he felt a horrible feeling in both his stomach and his mouth. He got up, revealing himself at the start of the docks, coughing uncontrollably while it felt like his neck was bloating.

"My device here can scan things and send data to Digimon!" Tai shouted aloud as he motioned to the device on his hand. "After an early accident, I found out it doesn't just work on Zero! I just sent you data of those poisoned mushrooms that Zero and I ate a while ago! Hope you like not being able to breathe for a few hours!"

Devimon coughed and coughed.

"Zero?" Tai turned to his friend where his face turned serious. "Help the poor guy out."

"V-Arrow Breath!" Zero declared before he focused all his power into this final attack.

As if they had sensed their leader dying, the Commandramon stopped fighting. Lulu and Coco gasped for breath after fighting more than they had ever before.

"T-They," Coco started. "They beat a follower of the Pillar!"

"Y-Yeah! Aren't they amazing?!" Lulu exclaimed as she and her brother turned to the two.

"~We're the 100 Percent Combo!~" They repeated in a merry tune as they did a victory dance together.

...

"Are these guys really going to be the end of the world?" Coco asked.

Lulu sighed before looking to where Kyubimon once lived. Even though the Elder didn't believe Tai would mean any harm, seeing the destruction of their home was... troubling.

However, Lulu was so distracted and Coco was so tired that neither noticed a shadow rising behind the lunar Digimon.

"Hyaah!?"

Coco, Tai, and Zero turned to the scream to see Devimon flying to the sky with Lulu!

"Urp!" Devimon forced back a gag. "T-This isn't over, Human! I am but a pawn to an even greater power!" Odd, why does it feel like Devimon has said this before? "I will return!"

Lulu struggled before she used her powers to attempt to freeze the claw around Devimon. However, even in a weakened and dizzied state, Devimon resisted and shocked her with his own dark power.

"Lulu!" Coco shouted before turning to Tai and Zero. "Get her out of there!"

"I-I might hit her if I am for him!" Zero cried out.

"And just in case, you all try to follow me... Commandramon! Initiate self-destruct!" Devimon cried out.

All remaining Commandramon stood still, and their eyes became empty. However, everyone heard the collective ticking noise of a countdown.

"Farwell, human!" Devimon fought through his sickness and flew into the clouds above.

"Lulu!" Coco was about to move forward until Tai grabbed him, and he and Zero rushed out of the boat as fast as they could.

When they were at a safe distance, the boat exploded into pieces, and the shockwave destroyed whatever houses still remained.

"Lulu..." After being let down, Coco looked over to where he last saw his sister. "No. I know you wanted to leave... but I was always going to leave with you at least..." The poor rookie started to tear up and fell to his knees.

Tai walked up and placed a hand on the rookie's shoulder. "If you and your sister didn't help us with the Commandramon, we would have lost. I promise to you, Coco, we won't stop until Lulu is safe and back with you."

As Coco looked up to Tai, the rookie swore he saw those same determined eyes before.

-My name is Koh! What's yours!?

-Thank you, Taiki. I entrust the future to you and the other generals.

Coco shook his head as the strange flashes passes as quickly as they came. He wiped his tears and looked to Tai and Zero. "I'm coming with you! And I'm not taking no for an answer!"

Tai only nodded. If it was Kairi who had been taken, he too would have done everything he could to save her.

First, Coco had to break the news to the other survivors, and following the Elder's backup plan, they had to move inland and start a new village. When they seemed to be done, and after stocking up, Tai, Coco, and Zero went off after Devimon.

Tai still didn't know his way home. But after today? He had a sinking feeling these Pillars knew something about why he was here and why he was destined to destroy the world.

For now, Tai made a promise. He and Zero would save Lulu. And as much as siblings argue, you don't mess with family.

All across the Digital World, those sensitive could feel a shift in the winds. Something was coming, something that either heralded change or destruction.

In another place, another human walked with a Dobermon until he froze to a stop.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing, Dobermon." The human pocketed a strange device different from the one Tai had. For some reason, why did his mind call it a D-tector?

"Hey!" A Bearmon with a Terriermon standing on his head looked to his friend. "Are you alright?"

"I thought I... never mind. Thank you for asking, Bearmon." The human boy said as he held what he thought was called a D-Power.

"We're bored!" A Sparrowmon and a BlackTailmon whined.

"Hmm, something tells me that won't be an issue soon.~" The girl smiled as she held a black Fusion Loader.

"Grr! I can't believe we're lost again!"

"Remain calm," A Betamon crawled to her. "I'm sure if we keep our heads together, we'll get out of here soon enough!"

"Lalala! He's right!"

The young adolescent sighed and looked into her hand. She wondered why she knew the strange thing she held was called a Data Link Digivice?

The lunar rabbit got literally tossed into what she vaguely could recall was a cell. It was dark, and she couldn't see through this strange darkness.

"Coco? Coco, are you there?" She asked as she felt another presence in the same place as her. "Z-Zero? Tai?"

"Tai?" A new voice asked from the darkness. "As in Taichi Yagami?"

"I-I don't know. ... But do you know Tai?" Lulu asked the being in the darkness.

"I don't trust her!" A feline voice hissed.

"It's alright," Out of the shadows, a rather plain and shy-looking girl stepped out with a feline Digimon that Lulu never saw before. "Don't be afraid... my name is..."

-You are the last hope I have. Please. Please come back to me. I am so alone.

Chapter Text

"I can't believe my eyes, folks!" The play-by-play announcer sounded similar to a radio talk host. "Akiyoshi High School has won the High School State Championships! The first time in that school's history! Listen to that crowd!" Even through what was supposed to be soundproof glass, they could hear muffled screaming. "Who can blame them!? Akiyoshi High swept through the bracket like a dark horse! All their players came together, even that plucky newcomer ace, Taichi Yagami! I see nothing but a bright future for that kid!"

She chewed on her lunch as the TV showed a replay of the famous video.
"Oh? Meiko, dear. Isn't that your high school?"

A bespectacled teen with long black hair looked at the TV that showed one of her schoolmates. She remembered him; hard not to when he was the popular jock in high school, especially when they were in the same class. But the only time they 'interacted' with each other would be when they would respond to attendance by Mr. Daigo Nishijima.

The girl only nodded.

"He might be a future player in Japan's Olympic sports team! Meiko, dear. Get an autograph from him, and we can sell it later!" Her mother joked.

"Dear, don't let our daughter get involved with people like that. Sports fans are like rabid animals for people who only think about their bodies." He didn't lift his eyes from the newspaper once. "On that topic of school, Meiko, I've heard your grades have been slipping. Do better."

...

The girl only nodded.

However, she looked back at her classmate on the TV. He looked happier than she ever could be. A small piece of her wondered why her life was so unfair but not to others.

"I'm Meiko, and this is Meicoomon." The teenage girl finished telling the rabbit Digimon.

"I'm Lulu, a Lunamon." The Rookie introduced herself before her eyes widened. "You're a human?"

"I am? I-Is something wrong with that?" Meiko asked before the feline Digimon got out of her arms and went up to Lulu.

"Alright you, listen up! You and the others better let Meiko and I go, or else..." The cat looked ready to pummel the small rabbit Digimon.

"Meicoomon! No! I-I don't think she's the one who put us here." The girl named Meiko kneeled to her friend to calm her down before she turned to the newcomer. "Um, by any chance, do you know where we are?"

"No," Lunamon put a paw near her mouth. "The last thing I remember was..." She recalled how Devimon had taken her away from her brother. "Oh no! My brother! I'm so worried for him!"

"I-It must be heartbreaking to be separated from your family!" Meiko put her hands close to her chest.

"No! Not that! He's an idiot!" Lulu shouted back. "How is he supposed to lead Tai and Zero my way when he doesn't know the difference between East and North!?"

Meiko was a little relieved that Lulu was more—wait. Something Lulu said caught her attention.

"D-Did you say, Tai?" Meiko couldn't believe what she was asking. "As in, Taichi Yagami?"

Lulu looked over to the bespectacled girl. "He did say something that sounded like that. Oh, do you know him?"

"He's my classmate! Wait, what's he doing here!? You've seen him? Does he know a way out of here!?" Meiko kneeled to the white rookie and started to ask questions faster than Lulu could process them.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Lulu stepped back. "I don't know! There are a lot of questions I don't get. But..." The rookie tilted her head. "Sorry. If there were any answers, it was probably in the old journal my town elder had. But I left it with Coco." Despite being flame-based, Coco was always better at taking care of objects than she was. She recalled handing the book before their assault to rescue Tai.

Meiko sighed after hearing this. "What are we going to do now?"

Lulu huffed before putting her hands on her hips. "Why! We're going to escape, of course! With you two here, we can do that! Now hurry up and do that really cool thing you Human and Digimon pairs do!"

Meiko and Meicoomon's response was to just stare at Lulu.

"Did you hit your head on the way here?" The cat leered at the rabbit.

The Lunamon stared blankly. "So you don't randomly come up with a plan that somehow defies logic and ends up making you achieve victory?"

Meiko didn't know how to process what she had just heard. She probably would never understand it. "I-uh. Humans don't do that." Meiko looked flushed.

Lulu looked disappointed after hearing that. "Oh. Tai did something like that."

The raven-haired girl's eyes widened when she heard that name once more. "Do you really know Tai Kamiya? Brown hair? Likes to wear goggles?"

"You sound surprised. Don't you humans know each other?" The Lunamon tilted her head.

"I don't know this Tai." Meicoomon raised her brow.

When Meiko—ignoring the cold tone in Meicoomon's voice—heard those words, she felt a sudden burst of hope filling her heart. Someone she knew was here, and maybe he knew more of what was going on!

"You guys have no idea what you're doing. Do you?" Coco asked as he found the two somehow covered in rope.

"No rope can hold the 100 Percent Combination!" Zero exclaimed as he struggled against the ropes. However, try as he might, they only tightened the more he struggled.

Coco walked up and touched the rope surrounding the champ. One flash later, the rope burned and came loose. "You know," The rookie put his hands on his hips. "We named this place Trap Forest for a reason."

He then walked up to Tai, who struggled inside a net. Coco was more gentle with Tai than he was with Zero. "Thanks for that, but I would have gotten us out of there!"

"Before or after security finds you in those traps?" The fire rookie folded his arms. Tai chuckled nervously while scratching his chin, but Coco went on. "Look, I need your help. I can't fight a Champion Digimon, but you two can. If something bad happens to you two, then I won't be able to save my sister!"

"Don't worry, Coco!" Zero patted the head of the rookie. "Tai and I can beat a hundred champions! It's why we're the Hundred Percent Combo!"

"Not to brag," Even though they already were, Tai took out something from his cloak and gave it to the rookie. "But I've written on this notebook all of our victories!"

Coco took the notebook and opened it up. He paused for a second before the other two noticed the rookie look back up. "I can't read this."

"Wait-what?" Zero looked down on the rookie. "I can read this just fine! Are you dumb?"

While most would have taken that tone and question as an insult, Coco looked more confused and curious about something. He fished his satchel for another book, older than all three of them combined by the looks of it. Coco opened it up and showed a random page to Zero. "Can you read this?"

"Uhhhh...." Zero stared hard at the foreign scribbles.

"Huh." Coco then showed it to Tai, who looked puzzled but had a more subtle look than Zero's. "That's odd. You should be able to read Digi-Scripture." The Coronamon told the blue champion.

"I raised him myself." Tai began. "I don't think he's ever seen Digimon language before today." The brunette started to feel like the book was more important than he thought. "What is that book?"

"It's the journal of our town's first founder. Lulu seemed convinced it held a clue about a mystery in our world." Coco thought about it a little more. "Now that it's been brought up, we've never known what humans looked like before we met you, so why was the Great One so convinced you would usher the end of the world?"

Tai motioned to Coco if he could borrow the book. The rookie handed it over, and Tai glanced through the pages. He also couldn't read the language of Digimon, but he had this determined look in his eyes. "I promise you that we'll solve this problem together and that Zero and I won't destroy this world!"

Coco swore Tai looked different at that moment. However, he pushed the thoughts aside and nodded his head before pointing forward. "Well, just stay close to me. According to the journal, the founder of our town frequented this area. He talks about a giant dome that prisoners get sent to. It matches the direction Devimon went with Lulu, so I won't be surprised if he also has back up there."

"In that case," Tai took out his spyglass from his cloak. "We'll have to be sneaky about it. That's why I had us take the higher path. Come on!"

Two traps Coco had to free Tai and Zero from later, the trio crawled their way to the top of a hill. The brunette held a spyglass to scan the area. "I see the dome you talked about." His voice trailed off, and the next time he spoke, there was a subtle edge to it. "But there's no sign of any guards."

"That's great!" Zero almost shouted. "We'll have an easier time getting in!"

"Or," Coco's eyes narrowed as he picked up on what Tai meant. "It's a trap for us specifically."

Tai came to the same conclusion. "Here's the problem. We might have to spring it to save Lulu." He stood up and looked down at the lone entrance of the dome. "Well, I meant what I said. We're going to rescue your sister."

The area around the dome was clear of everything. As the trio made their way, they noticed more about the dome. The rust, mold, and even some grass growing out of the dented areas gave the feeling that the prison existed long before it was used as a prison.

They all stopped just before the entrance, but Tai quickly noticed that he could barely see anything beyond the door. "Hey, before we go in. Coco, can you throw a ball of fire in there?"

Coco did as he was asked, but instead of revealing what was in the shadow, the ball of flame got absorbed into the darkness.

"So much for that," Tai held his goggles for a second. "Let's go."

With that, Tai and two other Digimon stepped into the darkness.

"Coco, you still there?" "Yeah?" "How about you, Zero?" "I'm still here, Tai. But I can't see anything." "Same. Coco, can you light a flame?" "Gimme a second."

Coco's flame was very dim. Yet it was more than enough to show a dozen or so Digimon eyes surrounding the trio along with glints of fangs, claws, and smiles big enough to bite all their heads off.

"... Tai?" Coco finally spoke after a second of stillness.

"Yes, Coco?"

"These next few minutes are going to suck." The rookie's words were aptly put as the obscured Digimon next to him blew out his flame.

"Come on! We've got to find a way out of here!" Lulu shouted as she stomped her foot.

"We've already tried!" Meicoomon huffed. "We can't even see anything in this dark room!"

Lulu raised her brow. "It's dark? I can see just fine." Perhaps it was because of her dark attribute, but the moon rookie could see what the two could not. As such, she spotted something an outline of what looked like a door.

"Hey, there is a door!" The other pair watched the white rookie walk up to a wall before pushing it. When she did, light seeped out, making the two cover their eyes for a second.

"Well?" As their eyes adjusted, they saw Lulu waving at the entrance. "Let's go! I doubt you two want to stay here forever! Don't you want to see Tai again?"

Meicoomon growled. "I don't trust her."

"Meicoomon," Meiko petted her friend. "I don't think she's bad. We should follow her and get out while we still can." And she didn't like being in the dark for so long.

The raven-haired girl walked after the bunny Digimon, but she knew that Lulu claimed they were in prison. A part of her prepared for the unexpected.

That is why when she entered what looked like a hallway, Meiko realized she didn't prepare for the mundane.

She heard Lulu say prison. So instead of iron bars and cells, why did they walk into what looked like an office hallway?

It took a few seconds for Meiko to realize that the hallway looked... uncanny. The fluorescent lights above them somehow made the place look dimmer instead of brighter and made the white walls look dull and gray. She saw paintings across the hallway, but what creeped her out was that they were all the same oil paintings of a boat on the sea.

"Are we in some office?" Meicoomon looked around the area.

"I don't know." Lulu shrugged.

Meiko felt this odd sensation, like sound becoming distorted. As Meicoomon and Lulu started to argue, the girl swore their voices were getting distant despite being so close.

She looked beyond the two Digimon.

She wished she didn't.

Even though the hallway looked endless, something stood out: a flickering light bulb. It flashed light and darkness until it showed longer periods of darkness.

In one flicker of light, she saw it.

She didn't know what it was; the inhuman figure vanished in the darkness as it appeared in the light.

But then the light next to it started to flicker.

Then the next.

Then the next.

At the third light, the figure appeared. Closer than before.

Meiko doesn't remember what happened next. All she could make out was a scream that sounded like her own voice, and she yanked the two Digimon in the opposite direction faster than she ever ran before.

The raven-haired girl didn't know which she did first but really wanted to find Tai.

Zero, Tai, and Coco all gasped for breath as they practically dragged themselves out of the darkness and into what looked to be the inside of a church.

"Those," Coco gasped between breaths and covered in what he hoped was saliva. "Digimon did not... fight fair... how are we... still alive?"

"I-I told you," Tai hunched over. "We're the 100 Percent Combination... me and Zero... are unbeatable..."

"Tai, let's not... go back there." Zero gasped as he pulled a spike from his shoulder.

Well, aren't you a bunch of toughies?" The trio turned to see someone sitting on a rock: a strange green Digimon adorned with armor and mirrors. "I let those Digimon out to stretch their legs, and you go and beat them!"

Tai narrowed his eyes before he stood up straight. "You must be the warden, right?"

"Indeed. And you must be a human, are you not?" The mon laughed with all the sophistication of a spy villain. "You may call me, Mercuremon. I do hope you'll enjoy your stay here, human. You're going to be here for a long time."

Tai narrowed his eyes. The guy didn't look tough, but he assumed the arrogance wasn't just hot air. He had some hidden advantage, but what?

"We're here for Lulu, freak! And we're not leaving without her!" Coco pointed to the Digimon as his flames ignited. "Where is she!?"

"Oh my! Did anyone hear that? It sounded like the wind." Mercuremon circled his hand in a showy fashion before he placed it where an ear should have been.

Coco growled before he jumped up and enflamed his fist. "Corona Knuckle!" He shouted as a petite fire fist rocketed towards the warden.

Tai watched as the opposing Digimon raised one of his arms, or rather one of his mirror shields. "Dark Reflection!" The mirror absorbed the fire attack and the green Digimon switched to his other mirror. The other mirror launched back the attack at twice the speed-

"Gah!" "Coco!"

And apparently twice the power with how big the attack was when Coco used it.

Zero and Tai rushed over to the rookie while Tai eyed Mercuremon. Inwardly, Tai supposed that's why this Digimon themed himself around mirrors. Any attack they threw at him would be bounced back.

In that case, "Zero, rush him! Don't use any long-range attacks!"

The blue dinosaur was faster than most people expected him to be. However, Mercuremon proved to be graceful as he avoided Zero's attacks as if he was dancing.

"Hold still!" Zero roared as he punched forward. Mercuremon threw one of his shields forward while another mirror was positioned at Zero's face.

Because of how Mercuremon's mirrors worked, Zero's fist went through the first mirror and escaped through the second, which made him punch himself in the face.

"Zero, back off!" So much for that, their opponent could also reflect physical attacks back at them.

"Is this all?" Mercuremon taunted. "I was expecting more from a human and Digimon pair."

Tai narrowed his eyes. He typed and pointed his Digivice at Zero. The Digimon glanced at Tai before he jumped back and inhaled. "Arrow Breath!"

Coco looked up in confusion as they knew Mercuremon could simply reflect attacks back at them. What was Tai thinking? Yet the rookie looked on when Zero shot a second attack, one much faster than the first.

Now, Zero unleashed the attack as soon as Mercuremon prepped his first mirror. So as he brought up his second shield, the reflected attack...made contact with the second V-Arrow Breath.

Mercuremon could send back attacks, but Tai had a feeling that he couldn't stop an explosion at point-blank range.

"GAAAHHH!?" No one heard Mercuremon's scream over the explosion. The Digimon slammed into the wall; his entire body singed and cracked from the power of his own attack combined with Zero's.

"No way... you beat him?" Coco looked on with shock at Tai.

"We beat him. We're a team!" Tai gave a thumbs up before looking at the broken Digimon. "Though with him out cold, how are we going to find your sister?"

The three heard the sound of slow clapping. Tai turned behind them and his eyes widened with alarm.

"Well done! Well done!" Against all odds, Mercuremon sat in one of the back pews of the church. "You handled that splendidly."

Zero and Coco looked back, only to see the body shatter into pieces like glass.

"Wait, was it a fake body!?" Coco screamed out.

Tai felt sweat down his face. Something felt off the moment they entered this place. The mirror thing wasn't the only ability their warden had.

"Fake? I wouldn't say that." Tai stepped back as he and the other two saw a second Mercuremon sitting on the opposite pew. "I prefer the word, reflection. It fits, doesn't it?"

"After all," The three turned behind them, seeing a new Mercuremon in place of the one they had just defeated. "I do love mirrors."

"Tai, what's happening!?" Zero cried out as he, Coco, and the human all huddled together back-to-back as more copies of Murcuremon appeared wherever they looked.

"I told you that I was the warden of this place." The Mercuremon spoke at the same time. "And you're never going to escape."

"Tai, we could use more of your impossible ideas." Coco looked up to see the human looking around frantically. "Please tell me you have another one."

"Working on it." He tried scanning with his Digivice, hoping that this was some kind of trick of light and mirrors. Unfortunately, his 01 confirmed that the bodies were all physical.

There was a secret to this place. And if Tai couldn't figure out what this was...

Wait. Why did he hear screaming?

Meiko had known enough about horror movies to know that once she saw an evil spirit, she had to run away.

Well, more like she saw one horror movie as a kid and ran to her mother before crying the whole night until morning. Afterward, she swore to never see another horror movie again, even going as far as to avoid horror movie commercials.

In her defense, she would survive most horror movies by simply choosing not to mess with forces beyond her understanding.

Yet, it both helped and hindered her as she closed her eyes and bolted in the opposite direction of the thing she saw. Both Meicoomon and Lunamon yelled as they got dragged along by the teenager's strength.

Because of these things adding up together, none of the three noticed the area shifting around them from an office hallway to a church.

Meiko wasn't looking as she crashed into something.

"GAH!"

...That had an oddly familiar voice.

"What!?"

Meiko stirred. She knew she fell, but her landing was softer than she thought it would be. ... And was it her, or did the floor have a heartbeat?

"Tai, are you alright!?"

"Huh? Coco?"

"Lulu? LULU!"

"Hey! L-Let me go!"

"Who the heck are..."

"Who the heck are you!?"

The voices made Meiko shake her head and open her eyes.

It was then that she found out that she was on top of Tai Yagami's chest. (She knew he was toned, but wow. Does he have a six-pa—) And she got off him faster than either of them could realize.

"T-Tai!?" Meiko screamed as her voice started to flush.

The google-wearing teen pointed with equal amounts of shock. "It's you! ... Uh... who are you?"

Meiko knew they don't interact at all, but it still hurt to know he didn't know her. "W-We go to the same class? I sit two rows behind you?"

"You're my classmate!?" Tai's eyes widened as he bolted upward. "What are you doing here!?"

"ERHM!" Meiko knew things were weird. But there was no way she could explain the crowd of mirror creatures surrounding them. Despite none of them having a face, she could feel them all looking annoyed.

"I don't know how another human appeared, or how you found where I hid that rookie Digimon. But this doesn't change the fact that none of you are ever getting out of here!"

Tai moved back while holding an arm out to protect the new human. "Stay behind me, classmate!" The other four Digimon got into fighting positions.

"M-My name is..." Meiko did not get a chance to answer when she, and everyone else, heard a loud sound.

They all noticed the cracks beneath the six... that grew within a second before giving way and causing them to fall into the darkness.

Tai liked to think he could handle any Digimon with Zero's help, and to be honest he still thinks he can.

But the brunette had to admit that unless he could figure out Mercuremon's trick as to how he made so many copies of himself, he and Zero would have to give up their 100 percent victory shtick.

And there's no way he's losing to some punk.

That, and why was there another human here with him? His classmate of all people. Was she also into V-Pets?

The questions just keep coming.

Tai woke up to find himself and others in what looked like a field of flowers.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked as the others all gathered their bearings.

"Tai! Zero! Coco!" Lulu smiled as she saw the three. "You actually found your way here!"

"You gave me the book." Coco handed the satchel over to his sister. "I just followed the directions."

"Wait, so who are you two?" Zero turned to Meicoomon, who kept staring intensely at Coco.

"Oh, I met these two when I got thrown in here! These are Meicoomon and..."

"KYAAAAHHHHHH!" Meiko suddenly screamed, making everyone turn to the bespectacled girl.

Everyone suddenly got into another fighting stance when they saw why she was screaming: in front of her was another Mercuremon.

"Zero!" Tai got his Digivice ready before he took another look at the Mecuremon in front of them. "Wait!" This Mercuremon clone stood out from the others. For one, it was brown and rusted instead of the clean green the others were. The mirrors all across his body were fractured and some pieces were missing.

"What? But he's a Mercuremon!" Coco pointed.

"I...I think this one is different from the other Mercuremon." Tai moved his hand to calm the other Digimon.

"Thank you for stopping them." Tai noticed how kind the tone of this Mercuremon was compared to the ones that faced him. "I wouldn't have any power to even defeat a rookie as I am now. Let alone all those fractured versions of myself."

"Fractured?" Lulu tilted her head.

"Forgive me. I'm getting ahead of myself." The cracked clone motioned to himself. "You probably think my name is Mercuremon. It is not. Neither is it the names of those that attempted to contain you. My real name is AncientWisemon, and you are all trapped within my corpse."