So since I'm so motivated with Xros Wars now and I have time on my hands due to holidays, I'll try to keep posting speed regular.

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Chapter 2: Don't Look Back

Taiki tensed as he saw the numbers. He knew he should get Shoutmon to super-evolve but even then could he beat a whole army single-handedly? There were more of them which made them quite outnumbered. He glanced at Dracomon, knowing he had to protect him or the Devidramon and the dragon army would kill him. He had learnt not to look back and once he decided not to turn his back on someone he wouldn't.

"Shoutmon, super-evolve!" Taiki cried out raising his X-Loader and Shoutmon turned, ready but nothing happened. The army sent out their attacks. Zenjirou jumped to the side, while Taiki grabbed Akari pulling her out of the way as well as shielding her with his own body. But the attack never came.

"MEGA FLAME!" All three of them looked up to see a familiar blond boy on a Greymon soaring towards them.

"Kiriha!" Taiki said sounding relieved. He looked a little different, with his hair longer and a blue jacket but other than that, he didn't appear to have changed. As he commanded his digimon to attack, Taiki couldn't help but smile a little.

"His fighting style hasn't changed." Taiki said as Kiriha demanded to meet with Dorbickmon.

"That's reckless." Dracomon muttered fearfully and Akari groaned.

"He definitely hasn't changed." Akari agreed with Taiki. "Let's hope he doesn't get us all killed before we can even do anything."

"Kiriha!" Taiki cried moving forward. "Let's work together."

Kiriha scoffed disbelievingly and rolled his eyes.

"You don't even have all your partners to DigiXros, how will you help?" Kiriha said sarcastically and suddenly let out an alarmed cry as the members of the army knocked him off Greymon's back and Dorbickmon appeared, sending a fierce attack at Kiriha.

"KIRIHA!" Taiki let out a yell in concern and was about to move forward but Akari grabbed his arm gesturing to Dracomon who had dug a hole in the area. Taiki nodded and the three of them helped Kiriha to escape with them using that hole. Once away from danger, Taiki wrapped an arm around Kiriha in order to support him.

"Are you okay?" Taiki asked worriedly. Kiriha winced but pulled away, leaning against the wall to support himself.

"I'm fine." Kiriha said in a low voice before looking at them. "Why have you even returned? You've come back to die by returning to this world!"

"Don't say that." Akari said annoyed at the defeat coming from the blond's voice. "I'm sure we can fix things somehow."

Kiriha snorted at that.

"Yeah right." Kiriha said sarcastically. "This isn't the world you left behind. If you really cared so much then maybe you shouldn't have abandoned it!"

"We didn't abandon it." Taiki said seriously. "We were sent back. It's not our fault time passes differently in the digital world. We weren't even in the human world for barely a day before we returned but months passed in the digital world. So in our time, we came as soon as we could."

"We have friends here." Akari added softly but firmly. "We never meant to leave it like this and we've realised how much things have changed just by seeing what happened with Dracomon. But if anything that's made me feel ashamed that I even hesitated for a moment before thinking to come back."

Zenjirou also nodded to show his agreement.

"We're Xros Heart for a reason." Zenjirou said firmly. "Taiki and the others wished for a world where everyone helps one another and we're here to take back that dream and make that world into what we dreamed of. We didn't come here to give up! There must be something only we can do together to bring back the peace of this world."

Kiriha opened his mouth to speak but Taiki cut through him.

"The Code Crowns." Taiki said causing Kiriha to stare at him for a moment. "If we could get those back, maybe we could release the Bugra Army's hold on the digital world. Kiriha, do you know something?"

Kiriha frowned thoughtfully, thinking for a moment.

"We have to defeat at least six Death Generals to obtain back the Code Crowns." Kiriha said then added "In other words, it's impossible. The power of the Death Generals is on a whole new level."

Shoutmon grinned.

"Don't worry!" Shoutmon said happily. "I have the power to super-evolve now through Akari's courage and Zenjirou's friendship." He then frowned. "Though I wasn't able to do it earlier for some strange reason." His eyes then widened as he saw lava begin to surge towards them. "Run!"

"Run?" Akari asked and gasped as Taiki grabbed her hand pulling her along, Zenjirou following behind them.

"What's the point of being a General if all we're doing is running for our lives!" Zenjirou complained, panting for his breath. They reached a dead end. Taiki clenched his fists.

"DigiMemory! Lend me your aid! Tailmon! Neko Sratch, activate!" Taiki cried and Tailmon appeared beginning to dig.

"We won't make it in time!" Akari cried, her heart thudding wildly in her chest. This wasn't supposed to happen. They weren't meant to die yet, they'd be letting so many friends down if they did that.

"It's over." Kiriha said coldly. "That's what we get for following a weakling like him."

Dracomon flinched and Shoutmon felt fury building up inside him. He was sick of the way Kiriha treated others. Before Taiki could stop him, he spoke up.

"Are you blind, Kiriha?!" Shoutmon yelled his voice filled with a mixture of annoyance and defiance. "He's way stronger than us! Even though he doesn't have a lot of power, he's made it this far. He has a stronger heart than any of us!"

"Shoutmon..." Dracomon said, tears coming to his eyes at the strong defence from his fellow dragon ally.

"I won't lose either." Shoutmon decided firmly. He then ran to where Tailmon was helping her to dig for an exit.

"It's too late!" Lilymon said desperately to Akari.

"Don't say that!" Akari cried not wanting to believe that this was the end.

Dracomon watched the lava building up and ran towards it. Taiki's eyes widened.

"Dracomon!" Taiki cried reaching out his arm but pulled back and curled it into a fist.

"You guys find a way to escape while I hold back the lava!" Dracomon cried to them. Zenjirou looked back in shock.

"Don't! You'll get yourself killed!" Zenjirou slid down next to Dracomon.

Thank you, Shoutmon Dracomon thought to himself. That's the first time someone has called me strong. I'm weak. I'm a coward who kept running from the dragon soldiers because I couldn't forget the peaceful world we once had. But at last, I've finally gotten a little bit stronger. Strong and just dragons, like Shoutmon and Blue Flare, will save this country after I'm gone! Goodbye!

"DRACOMON!" Zenjirou yelled, horror etched over his features. He would reach out but there was nothing he could do. He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his fist. He had a X-Loader but even that didn't make him useful.

"You idiot!" Shoutmon cried running forward. "Zenjirou, take him into your X-Loader!"

"Shoutmon, get away from there!" Taiki cried and Akari looked at him in surprise. She would have thought he would have jumped next to Shoutmon to protect Dracomon because he couldn't turn his back on him. But what she saw in his eyes for once was a different emotion. It was fear. He was fearful for Shoutmon's life right now.

Zenjirou held up his X-Loader and Dracomon was loaded inside.

"SHOUTMON!" Taiki cried jumping towards him and his X-Loader began glowing.

"Shoutmon super-evolve to...OmegaShoutmon!"

OmegaShoutmon grabbed everyone and took them outside.

"Still alive I see?" Dorbickmon said and then turned to the army. "Show him how dragons battle!"

All the dragons fired at once at OmegaShoutmon.

"OmegaShoutmon!" Taiki cried worriedly. Zenjirou stood besides him.

"Follow what Dracomon did!" Zenjirou encouraged him.

OmegaShoutmon smirked.

"That's right." He agreed. "Fighting head-on isn't the way to go. This is Dracomon's style." He dissapeared and appeared underneath Dorbickmon throwing him off him.

Dorbickmon then used the powers of the land to trap OmegaShoutmon underneath the ground.

"Now...this is something!" Dorbickmon said triumphantly.

"Hold it!" A voice cried and Dorbickmon turned to see two flower girls standing there one of them holding a blue flower.

"Could it be...the Weeping Willow?" Dorbickmon said suddenly looking horrified.