DIGIMON TAMERS: AFTERMATH

BOOK 2

by Vashkoda

(Disclaimer: This work of fiction uses characters belonging to Toei and Saban without their permission. I am getting no profit from it. I only do it because I think Digimon is a great show, and I want to keep the story alive!)

Kenta looked up as a shadow fell across him. Blocking out the sun was a tall figure wearing what looked like a trenchcoat, but upon closer inspection, was actually a large brown canvas stretched over an enormous frame. Green eyes peeked out from underneath a matching hat.

"Greetings!" the figure called out cheerfully, waving his arms. The brisk motion caused several pins holding the 'tenchcoat' fastened to come undone, and the fabric began to slip off its shoulders, revealing shiny copper metal underneath.

"Careful, Guardromon!" Hirokazu scolded, appearing behind his partner and quickly fixing the disguise. "Remember that you're not supposed to be seen out in public. We don't want Kenta's neighbors to freak out."

Kenta laughed. "It's okay, they're used to seeing weird stuff around here. MarineAngemon was spotted a few times and now people think our house is haunted by a little pink ghost."

Kazu smiled. "So where is he? You know they're expecting us at the portal. We should probably get a move on."

The other teen nodded and glanced down at his watch. "He should be down here soon. His cartoon's almost over."

"Ah. Hey, could I ask you a really huge favor? I looked all over and I couldn't find any of my old digimon cards. Do you think I could borrow a few from you?"

Kenta grimaced. "I guess.... You really ought to take better care of yours, or sell the cards if you don't want them any more. You had some really nice ones in your deck."

Hirokazu followed his friend inside the house. Kenta walked over to a bookcase and took down a wooden box from the topmost shelf.

"I know, I hardly even look at them any more," answered Kazu. "The game's just sort of lost its appeal. I mean, why play with cards when you can have the real thing?"

"That's right!" affirmed Guardromon from the doorway.

Kenta frowned. "But there aren't any evil digimon here for us to fight. There isn't anything left for our partners to do."

"Are you kidding?" cried Kazu. "Me and Guardromon are always doing stuff together! Why, just last weekend my dad took us hunting. Guardromon has amazing aim. He was teaching me all this stuff...even my dad learned a thing or two. I figured I should get good at using a gun, you know, for when Guardromon and I biomerge to HiAndromon."

Kenta shook his head. "Why would you even need to go to Mega? Like I said, there isn't anyone here to fight."

"Bah, stop being such a wet blanket, Kenta. Haven't you ever wondered what it'd be like to biomerge with your partner?"

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but my partner's already a Mega," grumbled Kenta. "I couldn't biomerge with him even if I wanted to."

"Oh," said Hirokazu, blushing slightly as he realized his mistake. "But hey, when the Digital World gets reformatted, he'll turn back into whatever his Rookie form is, right? Then you'll have a chance to biomerge! Oh yeah, and speaking of which, we really should get going."

"MarineAngemon! C'mon buddy, let's go!" called Kenta. There came a mixture of several sounds in reply.

Kazu snickered. "He's making as much sense as usual. When are you finally gonna to teach him how to talk?"

Now it was Kenta's turn to blush. "He talks just fine," he huffed, sounding offended. "As long as I can understand him, that's all that's important."

"Not if you ever want him to tell jokes," smiled Kazu with a wink. "Hey Guardromon, why don't you show Kenta what I taught you yesterday?"

"Right!" replied the large digimon with gusto. "Knock Knock!"

Kenta rolled his eyes. "Who's there?"

"The bus!"

Kazu's grin vanished. "Wait, that's not the line, Guardromon! Don't you remember? It's-"

Just then a white and blue striped bus rumbled past the house and sped down the street.

"Oh great, that's our ride!" cried Kazu, anxiously running out the door. "Now we'll never make it to the park on time!"

MarineAngemon appeared in the hallway, peeping in apology. Kenta felt anger rising in him suddenly as he looked down at his partner. But just as quickly, the feeling vanished. It wasn't MarineAngemon's fault. And soon he'd be leaving to return to the Digital World. There was a chance they might never even see each other again.

"It's okay, I know a way out of this," said Kenta reassuringly, opening his box. He riffled through the cards inside and called out to Kazu, who rushed back inside. Kenta passed several cards to him.

"Thanks man. But I still don't see how-"

"Use the Xuanwumon card. Its Phantom Mist power can hide us while we ride Guardromon to the park."

Hirokazu gave his friend an appraising look. "Wow, I never would have thought of that! What do you say, Guardromon?"

The robot digimon gave his Tamer a thumbs-up. Kazu took the card and slashed it through his digivice.

"Digimodifiy! Xuanwumon's Phantom Mist activate!"

A thick fog surrounded Guardromon. Dark shapes could be seen moving through the mists, making ghostly noises.

"If they didn't think your place was haunted before, they do now," chuckled Kazu. "Hey Guardromon, quit fooling around and turn off those illusions. We just need you to look like a cloud while you fly us over to the park."

"Okee-dokee," came the cheerful reply. The two Tamers and MarineAngemon walked into the mists and felt around until they bumped into Guardromon's hard metal hide.

"All aboard!" called Hirokazu. "Okay pal, let's hurry and get to the portal before the others leave without us!"



How could we have been in such a hurry to say goodbye to our friends? wondered Kenta as he trudged through the wilds of the Digital World. Of course back then we probably thought finding them again would be a piece of cake.

He sighed and looked over at the other Tamers. With Takato constantly at Juri's side, and Ruki and Jenrya engaged in some boring debate, Kenta couldn't help but feel like the odd man out. He wondered if he had chosen the wrong group to tag along with. Hanging out with Ryo almost guaranteed excitement, and Kazu never ran out of jokes or stories to tell.

MarineAngemon might not be that great at conversation, but even his peeping was preferable to the lonely silence Kenta now had to endure.

I wonder what you're doing now, buddy. Maybe you're having a better time without me around?

Kenta threw a glance at Juri. He understood how she felt about being a Tamer. He knew too well the fear of inadequacy; of not being good enough to raise a digimon. Kenta often wondered if MarineAngemon's inability to speak might be his fault. But how was he supposed to train a digimon who was already a Mega? Biomerging was impossible, and digimodifying him when he was already so strong seemed pointless. What else was there for Kenta to do?

If I can't be good at the real thing, I can at least be good at the game, he had thought. And that was what drove him to keep playing, even when everyone else he knew who used to play had quit.

But the cards were a poor substitute, as Kazu often reminded him. Kenta only wished there were more things he and his partner could do together. Sometimes he couldn't help but feel jealous of the other Tamers and their digimon.

But despite this, there was no denying that he missed his little buddy. Kenta now glanced at Jenrya. He could also understand how he must be feeling. Jen worried nonstop about Terriermon and whether he would ever see him again. Kenta might not be as close to his partner as Jen was, but he still felt the same way about MarineAngemon.

You've got to be all right! I may not be the best Tamer out there, but I'll do whatever it takes to find you!

Leomon growled suddenly, and Kenta nearly jumped out of his skin. When he had learned that Juri's partner was still wild, Kenta argued that he was far too dangerous for them to keep around. But Juri assured them that he would still obey her, and that he wouldn't attack anyone unless provoked. Kenta still had his doubts, and kept as far away from him as possible.

"Digimon nearby," Leomon said, clutching his sword.

Juri turned to the others. "We'll go check it out. If they're friendly, we'll ask about Culumon."

"And food if they have any," suggested Takato, rubbing his belly. "We haven't had anything to eat since breakfast."

Juri nodded and followed her partner deeper into the forest. They had been searching all day for any sign of the little digimon, and still hadn't found a thing.

"Hey Takato, don't you think this whole search for Culumon is a waste of time? Shouldn't we be focusing on finding our own partners instead?" asked Kenta, voicing his concerns now that Juri was out of earshot.

Takato frowned. "I want to go look for them as much as you do, Kenta, but it's just too dangerous for us to do it alone. Leomon's the only protection we have against wild digimon, so for the time being we have to stick with him and Juri."

Kenta thought that maybe they were safer without Leomon, but he didn't say it out loud.

"Don't forget that what they're doing is important too," Ruki reminded them, overhearing their conversation. "We don't want any wild digimon evolving out of control using Culumon's power. We have to help Juri find him and bring him back to our world."

They didn't have long to wait before Juri reappeared with Leomon.

"What did you find?" asked Takato.

She looked slightly discouraged. "They seem friendly, I guess. But...well...maybe you should see for yourself."

They followed a well worn path through the thick trees and bushes of the forest. It ended in a clearing where dozens of small digimon had gathered.

"Wormmon and Tentomon," said Ruki at a glance, not needing her digivice. "I guess this is a popular spot for insect digimon."

"I'll bet that's why," remarked Jen, pointing at the base of several trees. Digimon were busy drilling holes in the trunks and collecting gold-colored sap in small buckets. The sap was then poured into bowls and distributed among the other digimon. Two Wormmon who had noticed the Tamers approach wiggled over to them and offered a sample.

"Uh, thanks," said Takato, accepting a bowl with a pretend smile as he stared at the contents uncertainly. "If they eat it, it can't be all that bad," he reasoned. He sipped cautiously, then smiled and downed the rest of the sap in one large gulp. "Hey guys, it tastes like vanilla pudding!"

"Thanks for the food," said Ruki to the two Wormmon. "Maybe you guys could do us another favor? Would you by any chance have seen a little white Digimon around here? His name is Culumon. He, uh, might have caused some of you to digivolve."

The two Wormmon exchanged glances. "Mree mree mree," they chirped, clicking their mandibles together.

"That's what I was going to warn you about," said Juri, sounding frustrated. "They don't seem to be able to talk."

"Just because we don't understand them doesn't mean they can't talk," spoke up Kenta automatically.

"Yes, that's true," said Juri, giving Kenta a sympathetic look. "But after the reformatting, digimon forgot what they knew and became primitive again. I've noticed as I traveled to different areas that some digimon have a harder time learning to speak our language than others. I think it has to do with where and how often the data streams come down."

Jenrya nodded. "That makes sense. Digimon would only learn about our world through contact with the streams. This area probably hasn't been accessed that often on the internet, so the digimon here don't know much about us. But at least they seem to be able to understand what we're saying, even if they can't answer back." Jen knelt down beside one of the Wormmon and spoke very slowly.

"Chirp once if the answer is yes, and twice if it's no. Have you seen our friend Culumon?"

"Mree Mree."

"So much for that," said Ruki in disappointment. Jen went on to ask another question.

"What about a Terriermon? He might also have evolved into a Gargomon, or even a Rapidmon."

Again, the Wormmon exchanged a certain look. After a moment's hesitation, they answered him.

"Mree."

Jen's face lit up. "All right! Do you think you could take us to him?"

"Hold on, Jen. We don't know that he's the same Terriermon," warned Ruki.

"And now is probably not the best time to go looking for him," said Takato, pointing up at the sky. Night had just fallen. The clearing, however, was kept well lit by a score of lanterns hung from the branches overhead.

Jen turned back to the two Wormmon. "Do you think it would be all right for us to spend the night here? And maybe tomorrow you could bring us to Terriermon?"

"Mree," they chirped, leading the Tamers to the center of the clearing where the other digimon had assembled.

Kenta said nothing as he sat down with the others to eat, focusing instead on what was being said and what the digimon were doing. He didn't know why, but had a feeling that something wasn't quite right here.

"Have you noticed how much they're staring at Leomon?" whispered Kenta to Ruki, who was sitting closest to him. "And they were acting kinda funny every time someone mentioned evolution."

Ruki shrugged as she took a sip from her bowl. "Maybe they've never seen a Champion level digimon before. I've got to say, it's a nice change being around digimon who aren't constantly fighting each other for the power to digivolve."

Kenta almost choked on his food when he realized she'd said. Was this the same Ruki he had known five years ago? It was incredible how she'd changed!

But he didn't have a chance to ponder the matter further. He was tired after a full day of walking, and the sap felt pleasantly warm and filling in his belly. Before he knew it, his lids were growing heavy and he drifted off into sleep.



He was awakened by a loud and furious roar. Kenta's first thought was that Leomon had gone mad and begun attacking the Tamers and the other digimon. He bolted upright, only to fall flat on his face.

Strands of sticky thread were wrapped around his legs and wrists. He turned his head to see the other Tamers similarly bound. And then he saw Leomon.

The beast digimon wasn't letting himself get captured so easily. Broken strands hung from his body where he had torn them away. But a swarm of Tentomon circled out of his reach and began attacking him with their Super Shockers.

Rookies were normally no match for Champion level digimon. But against so many, Leomon didn't stand a chance. He dropped to his knees and was instantly enveloped in Wormmon silk. Leomon didn't have the strength to break free this time, and fell to the ground, unconscious.



"I knew this whole thing was fishy," grumbled Kenta as he trudged behind the other Tamers. Their legs were now free, but their wrists had been bound twice as tight and linked to the person in front and behind so that they could walk in a straight line. They were watched by a group of Tentomon, who threatened to zap them any time they showed signs of slowing down.

At least they weren't given the job of dragging the cage Leomon had been thrown in. The poor digimon had taken such a beating that he was still out cold. A second group of Tentomon had been put in charge of watching him and pulling his cart. Juri looked more angry than anything else, though whether it was at their captors or at herself, Kenta could only guess.

And then suddenly the unexpected happened. Both Jenrya and Kenta's digivices began to sound.

"I can't believe it," spoke Jen in surprise. "They're taking us to see Terriermon after all!"

"And MarineAngemon too, it seems," said Ruki, giving Kenta a strange look.

MarineAngemon? Could it really be?

"Good. We'll need their help to get free," whispered Takato, a fire burning in his eyes.

Before long, they were led into a prison camp. Fenced off areas held dozens of digimon, all Champions and Ultimates.

"Look at them," said Juri in surprise. "Culumon must be in this area! He caused all of them to digivolve!"

Kenta took a glimpse at the digivice hanging from his belt. The compass pointed to a row of cages, but he couldn't spot MarineAngemon. Of course if his partner was not in his Mega form, Kenta wouldn't be able to recognize him.

They watched as the Tentomon carried Leomon into his own cage, and wondered if the same would soon be done to them.

"You...humans-" spoke a familiar voice. They turned to see Terriermon striding angrily towards them. The Tentomon and Wormmon hastily moved out of his way.

"Terriermon! It's me, Jen! I know you don't remember me, but I'm your partner," Jenrya cried, moving as far forward as the silk allowed.

The little digimon's eyes narrowed. "Humans make us digivolve."

"That's right! You've got to let us go, Terriermon. We can biomerge, and then you'll remember everything!"

Terriermon backed away, as if repulsed by what Jenrya was saying. He pointed at the digimon inside the cages.

"They break law! Only Sovereign decide who digivolve. Only Chosen have power!" Suddenly the little digimon began to glow.

"SOVEREIGN!" he shouted. The light intensified and swallowed up Terriermon. Then with a sudden flare the glow vanished, and in its place stood a golden Rapidmon.

Jen looked shaken. "Wh-what just happened?"

Ruki barred her teeth in anger. "It seems the Sovereign are up to their old tricks. And now they've recruited your partner to do their dirty work."

"He called himself a Chosen. It must be their new name for the Devas!" cried Takato in realization.

"Terriermon...is a Deva?" repeated Jenrya in shock.

Rapidmon walked over to one of the cages and pulled out an injured Igamon. Throwing him roughly to the ground, he aimed both of his arm cannons right at him.

"All law breakers must be punished!" Rapidmon cried.

And that's when Kenta realized in horror who his digivice was pointing at.

It was Igamon.

"No, don't do it!" cried Jen.

"Coward! He's only a Champion! He doesn't stand a chance against you!" shouted Takato, outraged.

He needs my help! thought Kenta, desperately trying to break free of the silk thread tied around his wrists. But he was too late.

"Rapid Fire!"

The Tamers heard the clang of metal against metal, and saw a large shuriken embed itself in Rapidmon's arm cannons. The blow didn't seem to have done much damage, but it succeeded in throwing off Rapidmon's aim just enough that his missiles flew over Igamon's head. Igamon then rolled to the side and climbed to his feet, apparently not as out for the count as the others had feared. But his stance was shaky, and it became obvious that his bad leg was causing him pain.

Rapidmon laughed as he tossed away the shuriken and once again took aim. "Want to dance?" he asked mockingly.

Igamon leapt out of the way of the attacks, dodging each missile by a fraction of a second. His speed might have once been a match for Rapidmon's, but his injury was slowing him down. The last missile struck home and threw Igamon to the ground.

Rapidmon didn't give him a chance to get up again. "Tri-Beam!" he called, stretching out his limbs in the form of a Y. Energy collected at each vertex, and shot out at Igamon in the form of a golden triangle.

"No!!!" cried Kenta, snapping his bonds with a burst of strength powered by pure fear. He ran forward to where the battle was taking place, his mind repeating the same words over and over.

Don't be too late! Don't be too late! Don't be too late!

But once again, he was.

The beams merged and struck Igamon in a radiant explosion that knocked everyone back. When the dust cleared, no one expected to see anything but shattered fragments of data.

But there was still something alive in the crater formed by the blast. A small digimon, looking like a purple Patamon, lay quivering in the dirt.

"Tsukaimon," called Kenta softly, not believing his eyes. It took only a moment for him to shake off his surprise and run to his partner's aid.

"Stupid digimon!" spat the golden Rapidmon in disgust. "You die anyway! Now it just be more painful!"

Kenta knelt beside his friend and clutched him tightly. He looked up at their opponent, realizing in grim certainty that there was no way they could outrun him. There was nothing he could do now but stand bravely at Tsukaimon's side and await their death.

"Why are you just standing there?! DIGIVOLVE ALREADY!" Ruki shouted.

Kenta's heart skipped a beat. Digivolve...of course, he could do it now! His digimon was a Rookie again!

He spoke quickly, knowing that Rapidmon was about to attack. "Tsukaimon, you and I are partners. I know I haven't always shown it, but you're very important to me. And now I can finally do something for you as your Tamer. I can help you digivolve. But first you have to trust me. Do you?"

Tsukaimon nodded, his little face twisted in apprehension. Kenta felt just as scared as he pulled out his digivice, which had suddenly begun to glow.

A bright swirling light filled his vision. He heard himself cry out, but the words sounded as if they came from very far away. He shivered as his body became extra sensitive, as if all of his skin had been stripped off. But the air was warm and he felt strangely relaxed; almost like he was melting. Then he felt another presence, and something inside of him was released to return to this other being.

Kenta began to hear strange noises echoing all around him. He couldn't make any sense of them, and then suddenly, a voice leapt into his mind and the words became clear.

*Thank you for saving me. I know that before, you didn't have much choice in becoming my partner. This time, it was your decision to take me back. Thank you, Kenta! You really are my friend.*

Tsukaimon?

*Not for much longer! Come, let us take the next step!*

They were a part of each other now. Kenta could feel everything his partner did. Tsukaimon stretched and grew and turned into Igamon.

Igamon shrunk into Piccolomon. And then Piccolomon became MarineAngemon. Each time, the power inside them multiplied. Now Kenta felt so full of energy that he was amazed his partner could contain it all in such a small body.

The light around them was fading. Rapidmon hadn't wasted any time, and was in the process of completing his next attack.

"Tri-Beam!"

Kenta braced himself. the burst of energy struck them at full force, pushing them back. And then...and then it was over, the beam having no greater effect than a slight tingle against MarineAgemon's skin.

"Ha! Is that the best you can do?" Kenta cried. "Take this! Ocean Love!"

A heart-shaped bubble of iridescent liquid shot towards Rapidmon and enveloped him. The golden digimon pounded against the walls of the bubble but was unable to break free. He dropped to his knees as his form began to waver in and out, until finally the bubble burst and Terriermon spilled out.

"Smiling Face!" Waves of energy radiated out towards the Chosen, but Terriermon jumped out of the way.

"This isn't over!" the digimon promised, shaking his fist at them. And then his body dissipated into energy and disappeared.

"All right, we did it!" Kenta cheered. "Now to free everyone." He turned towards the Tentomon and Wormmon, who were now huddled in fear against one of the cages. "You can relax, we aren't going to hurt you. Now why don't you make yourselves useful and free everyone?"

The digimon looked horrified. "But...but the Sovereign! He'll punish us if we let evolved digimon go!"

"They broke the Sovereign's law!" another cried out. "Only the Chosen are allowed to load data and digivolve!"

"Yeah? Well I bet lots of these guys never loaded anyone's data!" shot back Kenta. "We already told you that there's a digimon out there who can make others evolve. He's the one responsible. Help us and we'll take him away from here."

Wait a minute, thought Kenta, suddenly finding it quite strange that he was having this conversation. Why are they all talking normal again? What just happened?

He heard MarineAngemon laugh. *Silly, they were always talking normal. But now you can understand them too because you're inside me.*

Huh?

*They're speaking a variant of BASIC, the original language of the Digital World.*

And you can speak it too?

*I can speak and understand all forms of BASIC. It comes with being a MarineAngemon. The downside is that I'm not able to speak any non-programming languages. So I can't communicate with humans.*

But you can talk with me?

*That's because we're partners; your digivice makes it possible. But I'm slowing picking up your language on my own, from listening to you and watching television. Unfortunately, even though I'll understand it, I'll never be able to speak it.*

The Tentomon and Wormmon were still standing there.

"Are you going to get moving or not?!" shouted Kenta impatiently. The digimon seemed to have reassessed their allegiance and hastened to open the cages and cut the other Tamers loose.

Kenta floated up to his friends. They seemed to be all right, except for Jenrya. He looked horribly shaken up.

"I'm sure Terriermon's okay. He probably just returned to the Sovereign," Kenta said, trying to reassure him.

They all looked up at him and stared.

"Uh Kenta, if that's you talking, we still can't understand a word MarineAngemon's saying," Ruki bluntly pointed out to him.

*Unfortunately, as long we're both part of MarineAngemon, you won't make any more sense to them than I have* apologized his partner.

"Jen, I'm sure Terriermon's okay," Takato said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "He probably just returned to the Sovereign."

"Hey, I just said th-...oh, never mind," Kenta grumbled.

*That's okay, we can separate now* said MarineAngemon. Kenta felt his partner's energy pull away from him, and suddenly he was back in his own body with Tsukaimon flapping his wings beside him.

"Great job on the rescue, Kenta," congratulated Takato.

"Thanks. But I wish we'd been able to free Terriermon too."

"We don't even know who's controlling him," frowned Ruki. "Shiuchon would never do something like this. That leaves Xuanwumon and Zhuqiaomon...."

"And Baihumon," added Juri. "We still don't know if Mako is in control of him, or in fact if any part of him survived."



"But why would he be against us?" Hirokazu argued. "I mean, Sepikmon was a pretty nice guy."

At the moment, he, Ryo, Ai and Impmon were doing their best to climb up a narrow mountain pass. The landscape was covered in a blanket of deep snow, but luckily Ryo had no trouble recognizing where they were and in what direction Baihumon's lair lay.

"Nice?!" spat Impmon in response to Kazu's comment. "He attacked Makato and loaded his data! How would you like that to happen to you?"

Kazu's eyes widened at the implied threat. And then suddenly Impmon realized in horror what he'd just said, and how he had once in fact loaded the data of someone they cared about. He turned his face away in shame.

"We all feel terrible about what happened to Mako," said Ryo, throwing a backward glance at Ai. The young girl never talked about what happened to her brother, or shared with them how the whole situation made her feel. Her partner, of course, wouldn't speak of anything else.

It must be hard, not knowing whether someone you love is alive or not, thought Ryo sadly.

"Now do you see why your dad was so mad at you when you finally came home from the Digital World?"

"Yes Monodramon, I know," said Ryo, rolling his eyes.

Ai turned to stare at him. "Ryo, who are you talking to?"

The Tamer grimaced in sudden embarrassment. "Oh, uh, no one. Just, you know, muttering to myself. Boy it sure is cold, huh?"

Ai said nothing and continued looking down at her feet.

Ryo frowned. We've got to hurry and find Baihumon, he thought. We need to know what happened to Makato, one way or another.

Chill winds had begun to blow through the pass, hardening the snow underfoot into layers of ice. They had to move more slowly now to keep from slipping down the steep slope. Ryo suggested that Ai walk directly behind him, so that his body could shield her from the wind.

"How much farther is it?" shouted Kazu.

"Not much farther."

That hadn't been Ryo's voice. They looked up and saw a towering figure emerge from a wall of snow. It was a giant white tiger with purple stripes and metal spikes jutting out of its back. Twelve glowing orbs circled his body.

Baihumon.

"VAJRA!" the digimon called out, its voice thundering through the pass. Suddenly three gigantic crystal points fell from the sky, striking the earth with such force that the ground beneath them quaked.

The Tamers hastily grabbed on to one another as the ice they were standing on cracked and broke apart.

"I guess now we know he isn't on our side!" cried out Kazu as the group tumbled down a deep chasm that had formed in the mountain's slope. Rocks and ice continued to shower down after they had fallen through, eventually covering up the hole and sealing them in.



Two other Sovereign materialized beside Baihumon.

Xuanwumon's left head peered down into the crevice. "They not dead. You should have destroyed them."

"Humans trouble," agreed its twin.

Baihumon growled. "This my land. I deal with humans my way."

Zhuqiaomon gave him a long look before answering. "Very well. But we watching you."

The two vanished, leaving Baihumon alone by the precipice. His four eyes stared deeply into the shattered ice, as if he could see what lay underneath. Apparently satisfied, the white tiger let out a sigh and disappeared. The steam of his breath still lingered on the air long after they all had left--the only sign that anyone had ever been standing there.



"Is everyone all right?" called out Hirokazu.

Ryo grunted and rubbed his head. "Yeah, but where are we?" Their voices echoed in the darkness.

"Let me shed some light on the situation," said Impmon. Two bright flames suddenly appeared over the digimon's outstretched palms, lighting up an enormous underground cavern. "Tsk, what would you humans do without me?" he asked smugly.

Kazu grimaced. "Why are you still calling us humans all the time? We have names, you know."

Impmon laughed. "Yeah, I guess being called a human is pretty insulting."

Ai frowned down at her digimon. "Don't mind him," she told the others. "He acts this way when he's scared. Right now he's just worried because Baihumon didn't recognize us."

"Am not!" he cried, blushing a deep crimson.

Ryo sighed. "I think he recognized us all right. That's why he attacked us."

"But we weren't hurt, except for a few scratches and bruises," noted Kazu. "Maybe that means something."

"It means instead of freezing to death up there, he wants us to rot away down here. In case you haven't noticed, we're sealed in," growled Impmon.

Ryo took a few steps towards one end of the cavern, waving his hand in front of him. "Maybe not. I think a feel a breeze coming from over here. That means there must be a way out."

The others came up beside him and helped him search. Indeed, there was a small hole in the wall just big enough for them to crawl through.

"I guess I'm goin' in first," grumped Impmon. "After all, someone's got to lead this sorry group."

He kept one of the flames hovering in front of him as they made their way through the narrow passageway. When they finally reached the other end, they found themselves in another cavern.

"Wow, would you look at that!" cried Ryo in wonder.

The room was covered from floor to ceiling in sparkling crystals. The light from Impmon's fire was reflected by the jewels into thousands of small rainbows that shimmered and danced around the room.

"It's beautiful," sighed Ai.

"Yes it is," said a new voice. "And it all mine."

They heard a grunt as something struck Impmon. His flame instantly went out, plunging them back into darkness.



"You're back. Why do you keep coming here?"

The large tiger Guardian emerged from the shadows and gazed at the dragon Sovereign. Qinglongmon was trapped in a cage of fire, water and steel, unable to move.

"The human...care about you," Baihumon answered after a long pause.

"What human? Where?" asked the dragon anxiously.

"He sleeping." Baihumon turned around and began to head back into the shadows.

"No, don't go!" cried Qinglongmon. "You know what the other Sovereign are planning! You know what used to be trapped down here--what they've now set loose on the world! Please, you have to stop them!"

Baihumon shook his head. "They watching," was all he said, turning his back on him. The dragon began to wail, filling the cavern with a terrible howling wind. But Baihumon was already gone.



"What about them?" asked Takato, pointing at the cages where the Ultimates and Champions were still imprisoned. Only Leomon had been freed.

"Pa pa po!" scolded Tsukaimon. The insect digimon hastened to obey.

"So he can really communicate with them?" asked Juri in surprise, watching as they began unlocking the cages.

Kenta nodded. "Tsukaimon and MarineAngemon can, anyways. I don't know about the rest of his forms. I guess it makes sense, since his name means 'messenger'. I mean, a messenger has to be able to talk to other digimon, right?"

Jenrya was only barely aware of the conversation taking place around him. His thoughts were still focused on Terriermon. A memory came to him then, of a different conversation, shared between himself and his partner years ago.

-"I wish you weren't always so eager to fight, Terriermon. I don't want you getting hurt!"-

-"But don't you see, Jen? That's just it. People assume that because I'm small, I'm a weakling. I fight to prove to them I can do it."-

-"You aren't small, Terriermon. Think of MarineAngemon. And Lopmon!"-

-"But MarineAngemon's a Mega, and Lopmon can use the Sovereign's power to digivolve whenever he wants to. No one doubts them. But people doubt me. And sometimes I even start to doubt myself."-
Jenrya felt pity for the little digimon--his partner. On the outside, he was witty and fun-loving and always shrugging things off with his usual "moumentai." But inside, Jen knew he was hurting.

Would this have made him an easy target for the Sovereign to control? Would their offer of power have been too tempting for Terriermon to refuse?

"The Sovereigns' power corrupts everything it touches," growled Jen under his breath. It had turned Impmon into Beelzebumon's red-eyed, black-hearted form. It had given power to the Devas, most of whom turned out to be merciless human-hating fiends. But now that the Digital World was reformatted, Impmon and Lopmon were freed from that evil influence. Now it had infected Terriermon instead.

And his sister.

Juri was right. I never should have let you do it, Shiuchon. We never should have tried to change things. And now we're paying the price. You and Mako most of all.

And though Jenrya felt guilty for thinking it, he wondered if maybe those two did in fact deserve their fate.

But not Terriermon. His partner had had nothing to do with the reformatting. Yet despite that, the Sovereign had dragged him into their dark world, and changed him...maybe forever.

"Too much power! They can't control it!"

Jenrya was knocked aside and brought back to the present as a beam of bright blue energy scoured the place where he had once stood. He looked around him and was startled to find nothing but chaos.

Now that they were free, the Ultimates were beating the stuffing out of each other and the weaker Champions. Garbamon shot their trash cannons at anything that moved, while a raging Etemon used his Monzaemon doll to pound the nearby Kiwimon, who were pelting him with ChibiKiwimon. A MetalTyranomon trampled everything underfoot while a Parrotmon launched sonic blasts from above. Gesomon squirted clouds of inky black smoke that only made the confusion worse.

Jen found the other Tamers clustered nearby and ran to join them.

"What's going on?" he shouted over the din.

A few of the Worrmon who had stayed behind to watch the battle began chirping something at Tsukaimon. The little digimon passed on the message to his Tamer.

"What are they saying?" asked Ruki.

Kenta grimaced. "Something along the lines of, 'we told you so'."

Leomon looked eager to join the battle, but Juri was holding him back. "No Leomon, there are too many of them. You aren't strong enough." Jen saw her digimon give her a long look afterwards, but Juri didn't notice, turning instead to Kenta.

"You and Tsukaimon have to digivolve and stop all this!"

Kenta swallowed hard as he looked at all the rampaging digimon. "There sure are a lot of 'em. But we'll try. Ready buddy?" Tsukaimon nodded.

"Matrix Evolution!"

The moment they emerged from the evolution sphere, MarineAngemon began shooting heart shaped bubbles at the combatants. The ones closest to them were all neutralized before they had a chance to figure out what was happening. But the digimon farthest away quickly realized who was the source of the annoying bubbles.

"Blue Flame!" shouted a blue-colored Meramon, sending a blast of icy fire at MarineAngemon. The Mega dodged it easily. But then the others began attacking him all at once.

"Nightmare Syndrome!"

"Dark Network!"

"Sonic Destroyer!"

MarineAngemon rushed to neutralize both the digimon and their attacks. But just before a Phantomon got trapped inside a bubble, he swung his scythe and released it from its chain, letting it fly end over end towards the little digimon.

"Watch out!" cried Jenrya, spotting the attack before anyone else.

Just as the scythe was about to reach its target, Leomon leapt up and knocked it out of the sky with his sword. MarineAngemon turned around and stared at the fallen weapon in surprise, suddenly realizing the danger he had been in.

Leomon looked down at his blade and groaned. It had broken into two pieces from the force of the blow.

"Thank you for saving us," said Kenta, reverting to human form. Tsukaimon added his thanks, and peeped in apology when he noticed the shattered weapon.

"It all right," grumbled Leomon, dropping the fragments into his scabbard. He looked over at Juri and the other Tamers. "You save us too."

The bubbles began to pop, releasing the digimon in their Rookie forms. Some looked bewildered; others embarrassed over what they had just done.

"I guess they're okay now," observed Ruki, watching the digimon disperse peacefully from the camp. "Maybe there's something to this Sovereign law against digivolving after all."

Jen said nothing. He could not forgive what the Sovereign had done to his partner. He could not ignore the fact that they had ordered Terriermon to kill the imprisoned Champions and Ultimates. However logical their laws might be, Jen did not trust their motives.

If you're at all a part of this, Shiuchon...so help me, I'll do whatever I have to, thought Jen. He reached into his pocket and clutched the communicator Yamaki had given him.

Dad trusts me to do the right thing. Can I, knowing the price?

"Now do you see why we need to find Culumon?" Juri asked the group. "We have to hurry before more digimon evolve."

The Tamers followed her and Leomon away from the prison camp and back into the forest.

Soon after, darkness fell.

In the pitch blackness, a soft panting sound could be heard, growing ever closer to the camp. Suddenly it fell silent, as if the person or creature was listening for something.

Yellow eyes peered into the courtyard, finding it abandoned. Whatever had drawn it there was gone.

Then it spotted something in the forest. A small dot of light was reflected off those golden orbs as it tracked its prey.

There was a rustle in the bushes, and the camp was empty once more

Impmon awoke to find himself being dragged along the rough stone floor of a tunnel. He tried to shake himself loose from the rope around his wrists, but it only alerted the digimon on the other end that he had regained consciousness. A ClearAgumon walked into view, keeping a tight grip on the other end of the rope.

"What's the big idea, huh?!" shouted Impmon furiously. "What did you have to tie me up, for?"

The ClearAgumon growled, barring it's two knobby teeth. "Sovereign send you to steal crystals. Crystals MINE! No can have!" he said, giving the rope a sharp tug that pulled Impmon to his feet.

"What are you, nuts? What would I want your stupid crystals for?" Impmon dug his heels into the ground as the other digimon began to pull him forward. But ClearAgumon was stronger than he looked, and Impmon ended up falling on his face and being dragged across the floor on his belly.

"Let me go! I'm innocent, I tell ya!"

ClearAgumon snorted. "You lie. No trust Sovereign spies. The Chosen attack us, hurt other digimon. But we hide, and soon, we have our own Champion."

"We're on the same side, you block head! Me and my friends are fighting the Sovereign too. We could help each other-OUCH!" Impmon cried out as the jagged stones embedded in the tunnel floor scraped against his skin.

"Friends? The humans?" asked ClearAgumon, halting for a moment. Impmon took advantage of the opportunity to scramble back to his feet.

"Yes! They have the power to make us digivolve to Mega! Then we'll be a match for the Sovereign."

The other digimon looked at him doubtfully. "More lies. Humans weak. I leave them in dark cavern. They die when Hyougamon find them."

"What? No!" exclaimed Impmon. But ClearAgumon was obviously through listening to him, and began dragging him forward once more.

"What do we do now?" moaned Kazu. "Without Impmon, we can't find our way out of this place!" The Tamers had managed to find each other in the dark, and were huddled close together.

"Wait, I think I hear something," said Ai. "Maybe it's Impmon! IMPMON!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the cavern.

"Shhh!" hissed Ryo urgently. "We don't know that it's him. Remember that something else out there attacked him. We don't want it getting us too!"

Now they could all hear hear it--low voices and grunting noises approaching from all sides.

"We should crawl back through the passageway we used to get in here. Maybe whoever's out there doesn't know about it and won't follow us through," said Ryo, already searching the walls for the opening. "Found it. Let's go!"

"But we'll be trapped there!" argued Ai anxiously, keeping her voice down this time.

"Go on, follow the leader, kid," urged Kazu, gently shoving her into the small tunnel.

They crawled through the passage in silence, keeping their ears open for any sound of pursuit. It was so quiet that when Ryo's digivice began to beep, they all jumped in surprise and banged their heads on the low ceiling.

"It's him! Monodramon's nearby!" whispered Ryo excitedly, stopping for a moment to stare at his D-Arc.

"That's great," Kazu whispered back. "Now can we hurry and get out of this tunnel? I don't like thinking that there might be something creeping up behind me."

Ryo nodded and they continued to move though the passageway. At last they were back in the original cavern Baihumon had dropped them into.

"All right, first things first," said Ryo, once again taking command. "We follow my D-Arc and find Monodramon."

Ai did a double take. "WHAT? What about Impmon?"

"Well something out there obviously captured your partner. If we try to rescue him alone, we'll just get captured too. We need a digimon on our side to help us free him," he explained patiently.

"I don't care! I want to go find Impmon now and take him home! I'm...I'm tired of this place," she whimpered.

Kazu gave her a sympathetic pat on the back. "It'll be okay, Ai. Ryo knows what he's doing. He's had more experience in the Digital World than any of us."

"No! I'm tired of people telling me what to do!" she cried in frustration, pulling away from him. "I don't care if I'm new here and don't really know what's going on. I don't care if you think I'm a horrible Tamer--I never wanted to do any of this stuff! Makato was the one was was supposed to go, but then he got sick and I was sent instead. And then my idiot brother decided to come anyway and he gets himself in trouble and now we're forced to stay here and rescue him. This is all his fault! He's probably doing it on purpose just to make my life miserable! I hate him!"

An uncomfortable silence followed. "Uh...I'm sure you know that's not true," said Hirokazu awkwardly. He jabbed Ryo with his elbow. "Isn't that right?" he prompted.

Ryo's face was illuminated by the glow of his digivice. Then the light winked out and everything was once again dark.

"Monodramon just walked out of range," sighed Ryo in disappointment. "Well, I guess we'll have to go with the kid's plan and find Impmon on our own."

Ai activated her own digivice. The glow was much brighter than Ryo's had been, reflecting off the fallen blocks of ice around them.

"He's...I think he's right below us," she said in surprise. The light suddenly grew focused on the ground at their feet, and before the Tamers could react, they were once again falling through breaking ice into a new underground chamber.

"Is anyone hurt?" called out Ryo, quickly recovering from the fall.

"Me!" came a faint reply from underneath the pile of rubble. Ryo was about to investigate when he heard someone else shout.

"What are you helping that loser for, after what he did to me?! Hey, can't you see I'm tied here? Hello?"

Ryo turned and saw Impmon with a rope around his wrists, the end of which was buried underneath that same pile of rocks and ice. He was desperately tugging at it, but it wouldn't come loose. Ai quickly ran up to him and began undoing the knot. When he was freed, Impmon summoned a flame bright enough to light the room.

"Boy am I glad to see you guys. ClearAgumon kept saying the Hyougamon were going to eat you."

Kazu's eyes widened. "Hyougamon?"

They could hear the growls and grunting noises grow louder again.

"We can take 'em! C'mon Ai!" said Impmon eagerly.

The girl shook her head resolutely. "No, we don't have to fight them. We just need time to escape."

Impmon looked disgruntled, but nodded.

"Matrix Evolution!"

They biomerged into Beelzebumon Blast Mode. He lifted his weapon and fired up into the hole they had fallen through. Shadowed faces had been peering over the edge to see what was in the room below, but they quickly retreated when they saw the energy blast being released.

"C'mon," he said, grabbing hold of Ryo and Hirokazu.

"But Monodramon's still out there," protested Ryo. "I can't leave without my partner!"

"We'll come back for him," grunted Beelzebumon, flapping his large raven-like wings as he flew down the tunnels, taking them deeper underground.

When the danger had passed and the Hyougamon had retreated into their caves, ClearAgumon finally dared to climb out from underneath the fallen debris.

So, the Impmon had been telling the truth. Humans really could evolve digimon to Mega.

And they had mentioned one other thing that ClearAgumon found interesting. Yes, he would definitely need to share this news with the others.

"Looking for Renamon?"

Ruki almost jumped when she heard Jenrya's question. They had been moving stealthily through the dark woods, hoping not to startle Culumon in case he was nearby. It had been so quiet that even at a whisper, Jen's voice seemed almost a shout.

"No," she answered softly, lifting up the digivice she had been holding in front of her. "I was hoping this thing could pick up Culumon, too. Right now we're just wandering around blindly, hoping we'll run into him. There has to be a better way."

Jen grimaced. "Blind is right. I can't see a thing in this darkness." He hurried on ahead to where the others were gathered. "Juri, Takato," he called out, just loud enough for them to hear. "Why don't we stop and rest for the night? We aren't going to find Culumon this way. He could walk right past us and we wouldn't spot him."

"Cala!"

They turned around and saw Leomon struggle as something leapt out of the bushes and clung to his back, digging its fangs into his shoulder. The large digimon roared as he threw himself against a tree, hoping to crush the creature between the trunk and his back. Whatever it was leapt off just in time, then snarled and turned its glowing yellow eyes on MarineAngemon. The small pink digimon blew a stream of heart-shaped bubbles to warn it off. The creature took the hint and disappeared.

"Leomon!"

Juri ran up to him to tend his wounded shoulder, but it was clear from her pained expression that it was serious and that she wasn't sure how to treat it. Leomon's shape flickered and began to shine with a white glow.

"MarineAngemon, can you do anything for him?" asked Takato urgently. The small pink digimon shook his head apologetically.

"When they flicker like that, it usually means they've lost too much energy and have to de-digivolve," said Jen knowingly.

"No..." groaned Leomon, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to stop what was happening to him. "Can't digivolve back. Want stay strong."

"It's okay," Juri reassured him. "After we find Culumon, I can make him digivolve you back to Leomon before I take him home with me. You'll be Leomon again," she promised. "Please, you have to de-digivolve so you can heal."

"No!" he shouted, brushing her aside. He fell to his knees and clutched the dirt with his claws. His breathing fell to soft rasps as he concentrated and his shape slowly came back into focus. He opened his eyes, which were still full of fear and pain. But at last he staggered back to his feet. "No," he repeated between gasps. "Stay Leomon."

"Why...why are you so stubborn?!" Juri cried out angrily. "You're just like him! Just like-" she broke off suddenly, a horrified expression on her face, then turned away and fled into the bushes. Takato paused for a moment and exchanged a look with Leomon before running after her.

"Okay. What I want to know is what that thing that attacked us was. If I didn't know better I might even have said it was-"

"Culumon?" asked Jenrya, finishing Ruki's thought. "It sure looked like him, though it was too dark to know for sure. But I don't know why Culumon would attack us if Juri says he's too shy to come near anyone. And Culumon wouldn't drain away Leomon's energy. He gives energy."

A loud roar blasted through the forest, shaking leaves off the trees. Juri and Takato came running back towards the group at full speed.

"What was that?" cried Ruki, still covering her ears.

"A herd of Tapirmon just evolved into Metal Tyranomon!" shouted Takato. "And they're coming this way!"

"But that means Culumon is back there!" Ruki reminded them. "Shouldn't-"

A familar shape burst out of the bushes and froze in its tracks as it found itself before the group of humans. When a second roar echoed through the forest, the little digimon suddenly abandoned its reservations and leapt into Juri's arms.

"Let's get out of here!" Takato urged them. He and Jenrya helped support Leomon between them and hurried after the others.

After an hour of panicked running, they finally agreed that the danger had past and that it was safe to rest. Far behind them, the roars of the raging digimon faded, and the Tamers were suddenly greeted by the light of a warm sun.

Juri looked down at the little digimon in her arms. Culumon slept peacefully, exhausted after the events of the past night.

"I can take you home now, Culumon," she smiled, allowing herself to drift into sleep as well. "There you'll be safe."

"Hold on, this place looks familiar," said Ryo as Beelzebumon flew him and Kazu through the labyrinth of underground tunnels. "Yes, this is it! This is the passage Cyberdramon and I took to reach the D-Reaper after it fought Baihumon. That's when we ran into you guys trying to rescue Culumon."

"Do you remember the way out?" asked Beelzebumon, growing tired after carrying the two teenage boys so far.

"Yeah, the place that Culumon was kept in is just up ahead--there!"

The tunnel opened up into large circular pit. Beelzebumon landed on one of the platforms of rock floating magically above the chasm. Looking down, the Tamers almost feared to see the deadly mass of chaos that once bubbled there. But all they saw was darkness, and somewhere below, the twinkle of an object reflecting light from above.

"That must be the crystal vial Culumon's essence was trapped in--back when he was just this little glowing thing," said Beelzebumon half to himself.

A low wail drifted up from the depths of the chasm. The Tamers looked at each other in surprise.

"The wind, maybe?" suggested Kazu hopefully.

Ryo crawled over to the edge of the platform and looked down. "No, I don't think so. C'mon, let's go check it out." He jumped onto a ledge in the cavern wall and began climbing down.

"But-but..." stammered Hirokazu. He turned to Beelzebumon and muttered, "You know, I used to think Ryo was brave. Now I think he's just crazy."

The digimon grunted in reply. "Let's hope you're wrong, since he's the guy you elected to lead us."

Since it wasn't far to the bottom, Beelzebumon let the others climb down themselves while he drifted to the ground and waited for them. The giant crystal vial was there, just as Culumon had described it. There was also another cave entrance leading further into darkness. The wail, it seemed, had come from somewhere inside.

"Don't tell me we're going in there," gasped Kazu, out of breath from the climb.

"We made it this far," said Ryo. "Might as well go all the way."

They followed him into the new tunnel. Steps had been carved into the stone floor, sloping sharply downwards. As they walked, they noticed glowing markings on the walls, providing just enough light to see by. At one point, a whole string of markings had been carved into the ceiling.

"I can't read that stuff--what does it say?" asked Kazu.

"If you're stupid enough to come down here, then you deserve to die," answered Beelzebumon with a grim smile. "Or that's the gist of it, anyways. It seems we're about to enter the D-Reaper's lair. You still want to go on?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at Ryo.

The Tamer kept walking as if he hadn't heard him. The digimon shrugged and followed him in. Hirokazu held back until he realized he would be left behind, then shouted, "Hey, wait for me!"

As soon as they entered the room they could hear something stirring, and suddenly a bright light illuminated the darkness, blinding them with its intensity.

"Who's there?" demanded a thundering voice. Then the light diminished and they heard it gasp out, "Kazu? Ryo! You guys found us!"

When their vision cleared, the Tamers could see Qinglongmon in the center of the room, bound to the ground in chains. Beelzebumon approached with the intent of setting the Sovereign free, but the dragon digimon waved its shaggy head.

"No, don't bother. You're not strong enough to break these chains."

"Shiuchon, are you and Lopmon okay in there? We were all worried sick about you when you vanished like that. Especially your brother."

The dragon snorted. "Then why isn't Jenrya here with you? Though I suppose you never thought you'd find us here." After a brief pause it added, "No, I think Jen would have been pleased by what happened to us. He would have considered it a suitable punishment."

Ignoring the remarks, Ryo addressed their most pressing concern. "Shiuchon, Lopmon--how do we get you out of here? Who did this to you?"

"Isn't it obvious? It was the other Sovereign. They're up to no good, and a good deal of that is our fault," Qinglongmon admitted gloomily. "We told Zhuquiamon and Ebuwonmon about the D-Reaper program, and how digivolution was dangerous because the excess data generated could trigger its reactivation. The other Sovereign were frightened, and decided to send their loyal servants--their Chosen--out into the digital world to stop other digimon from evolving."

"Stop them how, exactly?" asked Ryo apprehensively.

"Intimidation, mostly. The digimon of this world are primitive. The only thing they understand is fear. If they know it's dangerous to digivolve, they won't attack other digimon and try to load their data."

"But what about digimon who have already evolved?" asked Kazu worriedly. "Do they just battle them and wear them out until they de-digivolve?"

Qinglongmon coughed lightly in embarrassment. "As we said, the digimon are all still very primitive, including the Chosen. The Sovereign gave their servants great power, and they do not hold back when they fight. The end result is usually that the opponent's data is loaded by the Chosen."

Beelzebumon growled. "Their power blinds you...I know what that's like. But you're a Sovereign--how could you let them get away with it?!"

The giant digimon struggled against its bonds to demonstrate. "As you can see, we're not in any position to stop them. But it was not for that reason that the other Sovereign imprisoned us here. Despite all their efforts, the D-Reaper was awakened."

The Tamers gasped, looking wildly around the chamber as they remembered that they were inside the creature's lair. Understanding their fear, Qinglongmon assured them, "It isn't here."

"You mean...you mean it's out there, somewhere...right now?" stuttered Kazu, pointing at the world above.

"How could that happen? I thought you said the Chosen were stopping anyone from digivolving!" cried Ryo angrily.

"There was one factor we'd forgotten to consider. Culumon. Because his data was returned here in the form of a digimon, he was able to wander freely across the digital planes. He was reborn with the power of Shining Digivolution still inside him, and has been evolving any digimon he comes in contact with, whether they want him to or not."

"We know. Juri and Leomon have been trying to catch him. Jen and the others are with them right now," Beelzebumon explained.

"But if you say that the D-Reaper is back...that's bad news," said Ryo worriedly. "We're nowhere near as ready as we were last time we took it on. Most of us don't even have our partners with us yet."

"The situation is not as bad as it might seem...and yet it is also much, much worse."

"Shiuchon's been a Sovereign for only a few days and already she's talking in riddles," muttered Kazu to the others.

"Let me explain. The D-Reaper is also in its primitive stage. Being dormant most of the time, it takes much longer for it to learn how to evolve than it does for digimon. When it awakened, it didn't pose much of a threat, but it was still dangerous, and would only grow more so with time. So the other Sovereign decided to deal with the D-Reaper now, while it was still possible.

"What did they do?" asked Beelzebumon, almost afraid to ask.

"I don't suppose they destroyed it?" asked Hirokazu hopefully.

"No. You cannot destroy the D-Reaper program. It existed long before digimon, and has become an integral part of this world. It is a balancing force to the Shining Digivolution. Destruction versus creation. Darkness versus light. Both forces are needed to stabilize each other, and are thus forever drawn to one another. The D-Reaper is seeking Culumon, wanting to absorb his power. But what it doesn't understand is that by consuming the light, the D-Reaper will only destroy itself, and the rest of the Digital World."

Qinglongmon turned to stare at Beelzebumon with a set of its piercing blue eyes. "What did the Sovereign do, you ask? They struck a bargain with the D-Reaper. In exchange for not attacking the Sovereign or their Chosen, they asked the Ancient Ones--the digi-gnomes--to turn the D-Reaper program into a digimon. That way it could move about more freely in the Digital World, and could evolve much faster."

"No-way," breathed Kazu. "No way the Digi-gnomes would ever agree to it! The D-Reaper killed thousands of them back when it first woke up!"

The dragon Sovereign shook its massive head. "After the reformatting, the Digi-gnomes don't remember any of what happened. They agreed to fulfill the other Sovereigns' wish. I did not agree, and it is for that reason that I was banished down here so that I couldn't interfere."

"Bai...Baihumon didn't go along with all this ...did he?" asked Beelzebumon anxiously.

"He wasn't there when the decision was made, but he didn't try to stop the others either," grumbled Qinglongmon. "Why?"

"Makato is inside Baihumon somewhere," Ryo explained apologetically. "A digimon loaded his data and used it to evolve to Mega. Unfortunately, we don't know if there's any part of Mako still left to save."

The dragon straightened in surprise, pulling the chains taut. "No! Mako.... But wait, Baihumon has been visiting me--saying the sleeping human would want him to. He must mean Mako--he must still be alive, only buried deep inside him!"

"Well, that's what we're hoping for. But that other digimon is definitely in control--he tried to have us killed. We can't risk coming up against him again."

"You must! You have to wake up Mako! Baihumon could free me!"

"But what about the D-Reaper? It doesn't sound like we have a lot of time to stop it," Kazu pointed out.

"You said that Jen and the others were looking for Culumon. So is the D-Reaper. We must pray they find him first."

The D-Reaper watched the sleeping humans from the cover of the forest. One of them carried the Catalyst in its arms. The D-Reaper's golden eyes were drawn constantly back towards its pure white light. The other two digimon also radiated a faint glow, though less than they had the night before. The small pink creature had split into a weaker digimon and its partner, and the tall digimon had lost most of its energy when the D-Reaper had fed on it.

"Cala...." the D-Reaper whispered softly. It was strange, being in this new digimon body. Occasionally it had urges it did not understand... to flee, to sleep, or even to pity. The need to hunt had not changed, however. Nor had its objective.

But now, something told it to let the children sleep. After all, the D-Reaper had them in its sights. They would not escape it again.

END OF BOOK 2

(to be continued)