Author's Note by Fiona: Whoo boy. I'm gonna get it in the neck for this. Another fic started before one is finished. It's okay though, because I'll still be working on Outcast while Pin does her chapters. Should be that the chapters alternate between the two of us, but I'm doing the first two, as Pin said she wasn't confident on writing intros. Sounded like a fun project to do with someone, rather than alone. Two brains are more creative than one. Or something like that.

Also, any complaints over using Japanese in an english-language fic, please bare in mind that we watch both of these shows subbed and so to us we can't hear Naruto, Takuya and the rest not using at least some of the normal phrases. We just can't hear Naruto going 'hey, hey' not 'Anou sa, anou sa'. So just deal.

Author's Note by Substitute for Love/Pinneh: Okay, well, here starts this collaboration fanfiction by Fiona and I! I won't be writing my own chapter until chapter three (the more experienced writer is going to get all the introductions done, for which I am eternally grateful) but perhaps I'll write an extra one sometime to make up for it. I'm writing this because, well, it sounded like fun, and I was quite curious about trying out my writing with Naruto characters, as well as more canon Digimon Frontier characters. My name is under "Substitute for Love/Pinneh", but I see no point in you going and reading my one piece of work unless you like out-of-character stuff and just want to read things for a laugh and/or yaoi. Anyway. See you in chapter three. Hope there isn't too much of a painful difference in our writing styles.

Contains – Takouji. Definiately. Much crushing/drooling over Sasuke. Naruto-worship. Junpei drooling over Izumi.

Random Japanese translations

Akiharbra – Electronics district in Tokyo

Niisan – 'Older brother'. Is not always used for family relations, but sometimes to mean 'I look up to you like an older brother'

Matta ashita – 'Again tomorrow'. Normal parting phrase.

Aa – A noise used to mean 'yes'

Ne – Question marker, showing positive response is wanted.

Mou – 'But' or 'Hey'

There were few times in his twelve years of life that Takuya could claim to feel truly at peace. One of them was now, as he watched Kouji snoozing in his arms, as they both slouched on the sofa in his family home. It was, considered Takuya, one of the major differences between them. Kouji was always the first to wake whenever one of them slept over at the others house, usually long hours before Takuya did. As a consequence, Kouji was the first to get drowsy in the evenings, especially on the days where he had one of his many martial arts clubs. It always amazed Takuya how Kouji could keep standing with the amount of energy he spent on practicing.

Today had been an ordinary Saturday for them both. School had passed without a hitch, and Takuya was sure that he'd make the school soccer team this year. After school, he'd walked to the train station, to meet Kouji as he arrived from the Tomachi district, and together the two of them would hang out. Sometimes they'd go to Akihabara, Kouji indulging Takuya's love of video games and technology, sometimes they'd go to Meiji Shrine, Takuya allowing Kouji to enjoy the peace and quiet that was rare in the city. Today, however, they had decided on the closeness that they could only get in private, and so it was that they sat in Takuya's front room, Kouji curled against Takuya, where they had been channel surfing until Takuya felt Kouji's breathing even out into sleep.

Takuya enjoyed the trust that Kouji would now show him. He would no longer flinch away from contact with Takuya, and would even seek it out from time to time. It hadn't taken long for their friendship to deepen into something else, something that seemed so fragile at times that they had both decided not to tell anyone outside their families, and the other Chosen.

The beautiful sight Takuya enjoyed was disturbed, however, by the insistent buzz and vibration from Takuya's hip pocket. Kouji cracked open an eye to look at Takuya.

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

Takuya sighed, and let go of Kouji, reaching for the offending mobile telephone, when another set of beeping began, this time from the schoolbag Kouji had left at the kitchen table.

Kouji looked interested, and moved to fetch his own phone. "I can't think that Kouichi-niisan would want to text me. He knows how little time we have together."

Takuya nodded, and loaded up his own text message. It was entirely unexpected.

The Digital World is in chaos. We need you, Chosen Children, to return to us. A Trailmon will be at the underground station at 10a.m. tomorrow.

Takuya looked up, and could tell from Kouji's blank expression that he had received the same message, and was now thinking about it.

"Do you think it's true, Takuya?"

Takuya was surprised. Kouji wasn't usually so distrustful. "We never told anyone about what happened. How would they know? And I can't see any of the others playing a prank like this."

Kouji nodded. "That's what I thought." He turned his focus to Takuya. "I better get back. We'll need supplies, food, clothes… weapons."

Takuya nodded. "A lot to prepare, and not much time." He moved closer, looking into Kouji's eyes. "I'll check with the others while you travel back. Make sure that we're all going. See you tomorrow, at the station."

"Just don't dive for the elevator because you're late." Kouji smiled. "Guess I'm not sleeping over. Oh well." He picked up his school bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Matta ashita."

…………………………….

Takuya felt weird stepping out onto the platform deep under Shibuya station. It was like the last two years had just fallen away, and he was a gawky ten year-old again. He put the bag down, looking around at those waiting for him.

Junpei had changed a lot since the adventures they had shared in the Digital World. While he was still larger than average, his figure had changed and much of his build was now muscle, and his broad shoulders and heavy build gave him an advantage on the school wrestling team. He was also much more at ease with himself, not feeling that he had to encourage friendly behaviour from others with bribery, but would simply be accepted as himself. Unfortunately one of his younger foibles still remained, and that was his infatuation with Izumi which was undiminished, even after the radical changes they had both been through growing up.

Izumi, sick of all the attention she received for her looks when she was younger had cropped her hair to just below her ears, where it now hung in a golden bob around her head. She had abandoned her more feminine dress for low-slung jeans and a t-shirt, preferring to dress as a tomboy in order to keep admirers away. It didn't succeed in Junpei's case.

Tomoki, noticing Takuya's arrival, ran up to him, wrapping him in a hug. No longer a small boy, he was almost as tall as Takuya, although still the shortest of the group. He'd developed a real fascination for technology, and seemed very at home working with wires and soldering irons to fix old machinery.

"Takuya-niisan!" the short boy laughed, almost knocking Takuya off his feet. "Looks like we're going back at last!"

Takuya laughed too, swinging Tomoki round. "Aa, and you're getting to big and heavy for me to pick you up like this." He looked around, noticing someone important was missing. "Ne, Where's Kouji, and Kouichi? Aren't they here yet? It's almost time." Takuya checked his watch worriedly.

Izumi laughed. "Not like you to be worrying about being late."

Junpei grinned. "Bet he's not worried about where Kouichi is, either."

"Mou…" Takuya blushed at their gentle teasing. "Kouji was supposed to be sleeping over last night, but we got interrupted by something more important."

"You calling me not important?" asked Kouji, exiting from the elevator, Kouichi at his side, smiling slightly.

Takuya smiled a little, but still felt a twinge of resentment. Just as he and Kouji had grown closer since the Digital World, so had Kouji with his brother, even getting to the point where he felt comfortable enough to start using the honorific 'niisan' or elder brother fairly often when talking to or about Kouichi. It hurt Takuya slightly to remember that the two brothers were currently living together with their birth-mother, while their father was on a short-term posting out in Okinawa for his company, meaning that Kouichi got to see Kouji everyday, unlike him.

The twins were very much the same as they were two years ago, although taller, they both still shared a wiry build, and just as Kouji still wore his hair long in a ponytail, Kouichi had his cropped to a shorter style. They both carried rucksacks, very much like the rest of the Chosen Children, but with a major difference. Behind Kouji's back could be seen a fabric-wrapped sword, slung between his back and the rucksack. Kouichi held a sturdy practice staff that Takuya recognised as belonging to Kouji, obviously less comfortable with his weapon than Kouji was with his.

"Jeez, you're certainly expecting a worst-case-scenario, aren't you?" observed Junpei, eyeing the weapons nervously. "Don't think any of the rest of us brought any. 'Sides, once we have the spirits, we're unstoppable."

Kouji shot him a look that all but screamed 'Don't be so stupid' but held his tongue.

Kouichi shook his head. "We don't know what kind of trouble everyone is in, so we can't assume that the spirits will be just there waiting for us."

Just then a wind picked up along the platform, and the Trailmon Worm pulled into the station. The children greeted him, then climbed into the carriages settling down.

Kouichi looked about nervously, and Takuya felt a familiar twinge of jealousy as he saw Kouji's hand move out to brush against his brother's.

"…?" Kouji was skilled at talking to his brother without needing words, just a slight movement of his head.

Kouichi ducked his head slightly, then sat, tugging at Kouji's arm to get him to sit beside him. "I'm just a little nervous, Kouji. I don't know what's about to happen after all… If I even can come with you. I may not be welcome."

Kouji tried to look reassuring for his brother. "Don't worry. You must be welcome, you're one of us."

"I was one of them first, and… I wasn't really there anyway."

"Yes you were," responded Kouji as the Trailmon jerked into motion. "You were real to all of us, and you remember everything to happened to us. You had your own D-Scanner, your own Spirits. They must have been meant for you, no one else could use them."

Kouichi sighed, but let the subject drop. He tightened a grip on his pole, and looked at Takuya who was pacing the carriage. "Ne, Takuya?"

"Hm?" Takuya stopped pacing and looked at him.

"Thought there was supposed to be a big acceleration on this journey…"

Takuya's eyes widened and he moved to take a hold on some object, but it was too late, and with a sudden jerk, the floor of the carriage accelerated towards the Digital World, leaving Takuya sprawled on the floor. A familiar light shone out from various pockets of the Chosen, as their cell-phones changed into their D-Scanners again.

Takuya checked his over, and was mildly surprised to find that the D-Scan he held was the upgraded version he had received from Orphanimon. He held it up to Kouji, who responded by flashing his own upgraded D-Scan. Obviously the threat in the Digital World was greater than they thought, as they were being returned the ability to go to their zeta-hybrid forms of KaizerGreymon and MagnaGarurumon.

……………………………..

The Trailmon Worm left at the Forrest Terminal, with instructions to head for what was Seraphimon's castle. Everyone was relieved that instead of a ruined shell, the castle stood whole and pristine, as opposed to the damaged shell that most of the Chosen remembered from the fight with the four servants of Cherubimon.

Inside, two angels and a giant rabbit digimon, who introduced themselves as HolyAngemon, Angewomon, and Antiramon, the Perfect forms of the three great angels, greeted them.

Kouichi shifted uncomfortably, looking at Antiramon, until Kouji touched his arm gently.

"It's all been forgiven, Niisan. Both him and you."

HolyAngemon nodded to each Chosen in greeting. "Welcome back, children from another world. I wish that we had called you back for a happy reunion of sorts, but what has happened is far more pressing."

Angewomon nodded. "The Spirits continued to protect our world after you left, each guarding his own continent, but a short while ago, we were told of the disappearance of the ice spirits from the northern lands. Then word spread of the disappearance of the other spirits. Lastly, we had an eye-witness tell us what had happened."

HolyAngemon took up the story again. "A great number of digimon descended on the spirits, holding them still. Then one of these renegades would strike at the spirits with gemstones, one for each, and the spirits disappeared."

"The spirits are no longer within our realms," supplied Antiramon.

Kouichi jumped as the digimon spoke. Instead of the harsh tones he remembered from his former captor, Antiramon's voice was gentle and caring. He started to draw closer to Kouji, then stopped himself. Don't be so silly. He was a pawn, just like I was. Being still afraid of him now Lucemon is destroyed is foolish. He looked down, and saw Kouji's hand brush against his in unspoken support, Kouji having noticed Kouichi's nervousness.

Takuya was oblivious to this undercurrent of tension. "So if they're not here, why bring us here? We can't help, can't fight or protect the land without the spirits."

Angewomon smiled, or at least Takuya thought she did, as her helmet put much of her lower face in shadow. "You are still connected to the Spirits, and they to you. No others are so well suited to their use, or so attuned to their locations. We will send you after the spirits, to the other realm, but even we do not know what you will find there. It may be devoid of life, both human and digital."

"Sounds like a challenge," grinned Takuya. "Find the spirits, and bring them back."

"How?" asked Kouji, seeing the problem with that simple plan. "How do we get them and ourselves back."

"Together," said Antiramon "the Spirits have great power, as you yourselves know. Only with all twenty, ten human, ten beast, can you return back to this realm."

Takuya looked around his group of friends, taking a silent poll. Tomoki looked eager, almost as eager as he did two years ago when he'd settled into his role in the Digital World. Izumi looked resolute, obviously believing that they should help if they could. Junpei would of course follow Izumi anywhere, even to another realm. That just left Kouichi and Kouji, both of who looked faintly worried, but Kouji nodded, followed a few seconds later by Kouichi.

"Looks like we're going to another realm then," said Takuya, turning back to face the angels.

HolyAngemon nodded. "Then we will begin preparations on the gate."