It was just another summer night.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Tai's phone lay beside him with unread texts from friends asking to hang out sometime since school was over for the summer. Tai was surfing the internet and looking up the match up for his favorite professional soccer teams for the upcoming tournament. He browsed the date and city where the next World Cup would be. That's when it happened. A bright light shone in his room; blinding everything in Tai's bedroom.

"Ugh, who put the sun in my room," Tai said as he shielded his eyes. "That's my digivice! Is there trouble in the Digi World?"

Tai moved his laptop aside and went toward his desk shielding his eyes from the light emitting from it. Once he grabbed his digivice, there was thud as Tai's laptop fell from his bed onto the floor. By this time, the light had faded from the digivice once it had contact with Tai. The screen on the fallen computer changed color, and the soccer stats disappeared. Tai eyed the screen as it turned yellow.

"Tai, can you hear me?" called a familiar voice from the computer speakers.

Tai quickly made his way over to the computer, "Hey, big guy, I can hear you just fine. You may want to step back. I think I have a view of your stomach." Tai chuckled at the situation.

"Tai," Agumon called out excitedly as he stepped away from the viewing.

"It's nice to see you again, big guy," Tai said and gave a big grin.

Agumon hadn't changed much as Tai got a good look at him now that he could see all of his dear friend. On the other hand, Tai had changed. He was now 17 years old. He was more muscular, in a lean way, than he was before and you could tell he was a kid who loved sports. Tai's hair hadn't changed, but as of right now, Tai wore a folded bandana to keep his hair out of his eyes.

"Tai, what's that thing on your face?" Agumon asked as he eyed Tai's attempt at growing a beard to look older. "Are you sick?"

"No, no," he chuckled, "It's my beard. When male humans get older, they can grow facial hair. Some chicks like it, "Tai said.

"I don't know Tai, you kind of look like Gazimon. You know, that hair that's longer on their chin," responded Agumon.

In truth, Tai looked ridiculous, and Kari has told him to shave it, but Tai was too stubborn to listen. He was proud of being able to have facial hair.

Tai made a face at Agumon picturing what he was describing.

"Oh Tai, I was able to contact you because there is trouble in the digital world, and we need the Digidestined's help. Right now the others are contacting their partners and letting them know. It's urgent Tai. Evil has come back, Digimon are collapsing from whatever the source is. Some are even depleting their health purposely so they can become a Digi eggs again." Agumon said his eyes showing great worry and concern.

"Wait, digimon are committing suicide?" Tai asked his eyes wide with shock.

All of a sudden, Kari rushed into Tai's bedroom. The door banged loudly in her rush to get in. Her eyes held so much worry about them and also determination.

"Tai, have you heard?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, Agumon just told me about it," Tai replied. "We need to get to the digital world fast! Kari, open the portal!"

Kari approached the laptop and held up her D-3. Before they knew it, they were sucked into the screen. Tai landed with a loud thud. Kari fell on top of Tai once she had made it trough the portal. They had landed in a clearing in a big forest within the digital world.

"Thanks for breaking my fall."

"No, problem," Tai groaned from underneath her. Kari got off of him and got up to her feet. She brushed the dirt from her clothes. She felt a sudden chill go through her spine. Gatomon and Agumon rushed over to their partner's side and gave them a welcome back hug. Kari hugged Gatomon fiercely, but she couldn't shake this feeling.

"Look who finally decide to show up," called a familiar voice.

The siblings looked around and saw Matt with Gabumon walking toward them. Matt had his hands in his pocket and looked as "cool" as ever. Behind him stood all the others with their respective Digimon. However, Kari began to feel like something eerie was surrounding the area.

"Hey, Matt long time no see!" said Tai as he walked over to Matt

"You too, man!" Matt said as they grabbed each other's hand and did that hand grab that guys normally do.

The Digi destined were together again, and it was a sight to see as old friendships came alive again and inside jokes were told, especially about Tai's beard. Davis and the others were also there too. Ken seemed to be attached to the hip to Yolei. Though, that was to be expected since they just started dating. You could also catch Matt eyeing Sora with this sort of soft look in his eyes for her. It wasn't for sure by the others if they were together or not. It was more of a down low thing for them. When questioned they would usually make a joke about it and brush the question to the side. However, Takeru knew that they were secretly seeing each other. They kept it a secret because if they were to break up they didn't want tension within the group of Digi destined. Sora has already dealt with that drama with her friends with taking sides, and the last thing she wanted was for it to happen to them and their unique group.

Everyone had grown and matured. Kari, Takeru, and the newer digidestined were all 14 years old. The previous generation of Digidestined was now in their late teens. Joe was looking like a very intellectual and professional man, and so was Izzy. Mimi had a new hairstyle from the last time. Her hair was Auburn color now. Sora's hair was a little longer, and she was, of course, very beautiful and showed her feminine side a little more. Matt had shaggy hair, and he was muscular in lean way from working out. Takeru also had shaggy hair and he wore beanie now. Kari hadn't changed much except growing and changing with her biology. Her hair was still short and around her neck was whimsical bandana. Davis had finally changed his hair style. His afro like hair style was gone, and he had more of shaggy tousled hair of spikes. Cody had shot up in height, and his hair was long and tied back. The ponytail he had reached the base of his neck. His hair was also parted on the side and didn't have bangs. He had been exploring and training in the digital world for a kendo tournament he had coming up. He hadn't bothered to find someone to cut his hair back to its original style. Yolei hadn't changed much. She had stopped growing and didn't seem to tower over everyone. She sported an aviator's hat instead of her helmet. It was part of the new clothes that the portal gave her. Ken had also changed his hair. He seemed to have decided against the even lined cut he had and let his hair be more of what it is naturally. The ends had more of point to them and made it seem more natural. It framed his fame very well.

Takeru eyed Kari as he noticed something was wrong. She was his best friend after all. He didn't want to call attention to it though while everyone was having their reunion with each other. She seemed to on edge as if something were to happen or grab her.

"Okay, I think we have had our reunion long enough. We need to focus on why we were called here," said Joe as he adjusted his glasses. His pose was confident, something he had cultivated over the years.

"I agree," said Palmon and nodded for the effect. "My friends back in my village are affected by what's going on. One of them turned themselves back into a Digi Egg." Palmon had sadness within her as she said the last part.

"There has been this mist of darkness descending upon some areas of the digi world too," Tentomon said. "Get an eerie feeling from it, and not all digimon can feel it."

"Well, let's go find the digimon responsible and squash it into its place," chimed in Davis. He was ready to get going on this next adventure.

"It's not that easy, Davis," Sora replied; always the voice of reason. "We don't know where this digimon is or where it is. We have no idea what we are up against. Plus, we aren't the only ones called here to help. Digimon from all over are calling their partners here."

"We have a feeling this is going to be a great battle. We instinctively sense something great is coming. We sense in the air this feeling that war is going to break out," Said Biyomon.

"I have the location of one of the teams of humans called here by their digimon to help. They have been here longer than us and have gathered some research on the situation. Their team's primary focus is gathering research. It's not a far walk from here, and they are expecting us," Izzy said. "There are other teams located across the digital world that are also gearing up for what the digimon are instinctively sensing."

"Great, Izzy! Just lead the way. We need to help in any way we can if this trouble is as really bad as it seems." Said Tai. "You rea—"

Tai was interrupted by a thunderous burp from Veemon. Davis had shared some chocolate with Veemon that he had on him. The burp seemed to carry, and the teens wouldn't be surprised if the research team they were to visit had heard it.

"You should say 'excuse me' after your burp," Palmon said while everyone one just gave Davis an irritated look.

All of a sudden, the bird type digimon in the trees around them took flight in a hurry. There was something coming, and all the digimon could feel it. Gatomon got in front of Kari, who was having a bad feeling in her stomach about this. Dark tendrils could be seen in the distance between the tree trunks.

"There's danger," said Gabumon and everyone braced themselves for what was to come.

"Maybe Tai's face will scare it off, "joked Gomamon. Everyone laughed a little, except Tai, of course, and Cody. Cody could sense this was not a time to be joking around. He has been training in the Digi world for a month, and he has become in tune with sensing danger.

Once the chuckles had died, everything was silence except for sounds of snapping echoing through the forest. Out of the trees around them emerged five Ghoulmon. The dark mist by their side. The dark tendrils had stopped at the edge of the trees before it reached the clearing where digidestined were.

"Ghoulmon, don't usually cause wickedness they are more for being neutral," said Tentomon.

"Agumon digivolve!" said Tai. "I got this, hold off and see if I'll need your help." Agumon digivolved into Metal Greymon and roared loudly.

"Don't attack yet Metal Greymon, "Commanded Tai, "they may not be here to attack us."

The ghoalmon circled around them, before darting back into the tendrils of darkness that they had brought with them.

"Interesting," Izzy commented as he watched what transpired.

The ground shook beneath them, and their digivices all began to glow. They couldn't see. The brightness overwhelmed everything. Metal Greymon digivolved back into his rookie from and covered his eyes from the bright light. His response was the same as the other digimon.

Beyond the blinding light, Kari could see the darkness fast approaching them. The tendrils were racing towards them. Before she knew it, they were all entangled in it. The only response anyone had to the mist was to get down on the ground and lie down prone. It was like their body was too exhausted to move, and something heavy within them weighed them down. They couldn't summon the motivation to move even one muscle. Kari could feel her heart ache with so much pain. It hurt so bad all she could do was just lay there letting the ache ripple through her chest. Kari found she had tears streaming down her face. Distantly she could hear that everyone else was crying too. She could hear painful sobbing. Kari understood that this mist was causing the distressing feeling that were torturing them. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

The digidestined felt so much pain, and they all found their mind wouldn't stop thinking. There was this hollow pain that crept over them like raging waves in a stormy sea. The feeling was horrible. It was something Takeru never wanted to experience ever again. The feeling was worthlessness. All the digidestined succumb to this uselessness, futility, and utter darkness and tears begin to stream down their face faster. Even the Digimon were afflicted in similar way. They felt like they couldn't see the end; everything seemed to keep going until they arrived at answer of pointlessness.

Tai could remember all his failures like they were movie. He recalled how he made Agumon into a monster and made him digivolve into Skull Greymon. It's one of the things he regretted most. He had treated Agumon so badly, and Agumon had saved his life multiple times.

Agumon doesn't deserve a partner like me, Tai thought.

Tai remembered all his mistakes one the previous adventure and the fight he got into with his parents. He remembered how the cool kids in school had decided to ditch him and how the girls would sometimes just chuckle at him behind his back. He remembered his homecoming dance and how his date had stood him up. That is, he thought she did, till he found her with another guy at the dance. Tai felt himself grow minuscule and felt pain he hadn't felt before over those situations.

Matt remembered how much of mean kid he was to Gabumon and Tai back on their first adventure because he was trying to cover up how much he cared about Takeru. He didn't feel like he was allowed to show that side of himself or something bad might happen. He was afraid his friends would leave him if he showed them that weak side. He was afraid they would abandon him. Everyone leaves in life, and it's something that really hurt Matt. He found himself wondering if his father ever regretted him. His father would be probably happily married again if he didn't have a son to guide and take care of. All Matt could think about is how all his friends eventually leave, and he felt like he couldn't take it. He felt his body ache from the emotional pain he was feeling.

Ken was laying on his back. He remembered feeling this. He remembers this, but not the extent he was experiencing it now. Ken noted that the area now smelled like it was raining, but there was no rain. He stared at the sky above and noticed the dark mist had completely blocked out the sky and the sun. Ken could remember vividly the sound of ocean. The dark ocean. He was terrified. At least he acknowledged he should have been, but he felt nothing. It's like he didn't care anymore. He mental understood though he was terrified even if his body wasn't. Ken registered that Wormon as next to him, and he tried to remember how good of a friend he was to him, even when Ken was evil. All of a sudden, Ken felt the hold the darkness had over him lessen, and he found he could motivate himself to sit up.

"Focus on your friendship with your digimon, or someone, and how they were always there for you," Ken said as he tried to wipe the tears forming in his eyes. The lessening hold made it so they stopped streaming down their face. The next thought Ken had pulled him back into his previous state of agony. He had thought about whether everyone really trusted him or not. He felt like he was a disgrace to them, and they really had no right to trust him.

Arrows of light shot through the mist. Breaking holes in the dense mist that blocked out the sky. One arrow barely missed Joe as it struck the ground. A beam of light broke through the mist creating another hole. The numerous arrows that came down shone with great brilliance and their light started making the mist disappear. The darkness ebbed away, and the digimon and their partners were released from their torturous prison. They all sat up and saw several Angemon and Angewomon flying above the forest clearing.