A multitude of footsteps echoed through the sacred halls as the Chosen Children followed Keiko into the depths of Narakumon's temple. Their shadows followed them along the quiet walls, devoid of any movement save their own as an oppressive stillness put their nerves on edge. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the throne room, each anxious to see what the Chosen of Darkness had to show them.

It was a scene that none of the Chosen were prepared for. A massive angelic Digimon, as tall as a skyscraper when standing, sat back in his ornate throne of obsidian and silver as if he had collapsed, his arms draping haphazardly to either side of the armrests and his head lolled forward so that his black hair spilled forward like a waterfall. Even his dull silver wings lacked strength, sagging down to dangle over the sides of the throne, feathers messily sprawled about him with some even having fallen loose into a pile around the base of the throne. It was a Digimon that Hikari instantly recognized from her dreams, despite the size difference.

Narakumon looked like hell.

Black Tailmon's ears canted back as she gawked at the DigiGod of Darkness, her look of horror mirrored on Hikari's own face. Quickly, she raced forward, bounding the distance until she got to Narakumon's armored foot, ignoring the way it dwarfed her several times over as she placed her paws against it. "Narakumon!"

There was no response, not even a twitch on the god Digimon's face.

"Holy shit," FlaWizarmon breathed as he gawked from the doorway, then hurried to join Black Tailmon at Narakumon's feet.

Witchmon covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh, my… God."

"He won't wake up," Keiko said, arms folded in front of her with her head bowed and her earlier enthusiasm bleeding out at the sight of the slumbering god she called her father. "…No matter what we do."

"Why?" Takeru asked as he approached Keiko, stopping beside her as he stared up at the Digimon. He hesitated as he recalled what Keiko had said before. "Because of the strain of running everything himself?"

"Exhaustion, basically?" Yamato asked as he crossed his arms, furrowing his brow.

Keiko nodded, her expression solemn.

Black Tailmon paused before her ears drooped. She couldn't help but feel guilty, as she knew that her own actions had contributed to Narakumon's state. He had helped Nyamon manifest herself long enough that they could jogress. The DigiGod no doubt knew exactly what would happen, and yet he did it anyway.

Nyamon glanced towards Black Tailmon, as if sensing her thoughts, before she looked down at the floor and let out a heavy sigh.

"I wanted to meet him," Mimi said as she clasped her hands together, her eyes moist. "But not like this."

Hikari trembled as she moved to stand by her partner, staring up at the prone Narakumon. Her heart twisted in her chest, knowing full well how much he had supported her - and how this was the result of that support. It made her all the more resolute in what she had to do. "We're going to help him."

Keiko nodded, giving Hikari a small, but grateful smile.

"But… how?" Taichi asked slowly, his gaze rarely straying from the giant unconscious angel before them.

"Maybe we can give him a jumpstart?" Miyako wondered aloud before turning to lock eyes with Sora and Yamato. "I mean, we've got three out of five of us here, and all of the Darkness Digimentals…" She paused before glancing at Keiko appraisingly. "And you've got some spooky ghost magic and know a crapload more than the rest of us. Think it's possible we could just give him our power like you all did for the orb?"

For a moment, Keiko's eyes were bright as the suggestion made her heart bloom with new possibilities she hadn't even considered before, but a beat later, her expression skewed up with pain as another thought crushed her budding hope. Slowly, with obvious reluctance, she shook her head. "We… we can't. Not now."

"Narakumon would be livid if he knew that we chose him over saving Ryo," Nyamon added, coming to the same conclusion as her partner. "He'd say something like we could have waited until after we got Ryo from that bastard, because he's obviously not going anywhere and it really wasn't that bad anyway… he was just 'napping', or some other extremely transparent attempt to cover up his weakness."

Keiko folded her arms tight against her chest. "Ryo… Ryo has been trapped with Zeed for too long."

"But you are saying that it's possible," Yamato said as he fixed his gaze on the mournful ghost. "Just, that it'd mean we couldn't go rescue Ryo right now because we wasted all our energy, right?"

"The orb thing did exhaust us for quite some time," Sora said, thoughtfully. "Time that we'd spend recovering, while Ryo's trapped."

Miyako let out a weary sigh as her idea was shot down. "True enough. We're probably going to be too wiped to do anything after we go back out to face that again." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder in the general direction they had come from, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the memory of how close the Dark Ocean had come to stealing Iori away.

Iori couldn't look at Miyako, his thoughts running down the same path as hers. Instead, he focused on Armadimon, who nuzzled his leg affectionately.

"That just means we can do it later," Gabumon said, thoughtfully as he tapped a claw to his chin. "After we've saved Ryo. Then, he can't complain."

"Oh, he'd still complain," Nyamon said, wryly. "But he'd have less of a leg to stand on."

"Huh?" Piyomon blinked as she turned to face Nyamon. "Why would he complain about us helping him?"

Nyamon turned to Piyomon, her grin becoming lopsided. "Tsundere."

"The biggest tsundere to ever exist," Keiko deadpanned.

Miyako stared at Keiko in disbelief. "Was that pun intentional?"

Gomamon let out a snicker. "Nice one!"

"What's a tsundere?" Taichi asked as he scratched the back of his head.

Miyako jerked a thumb to her side. "Daisuke and how he acts about Ken now."

Daisuke jerked at the mention of him and Ken in the same breath, but the meaning of the word left him feeling too confused and conflicted to know exactly how to respond. "Wh-what's that mean?"

"Covering up how much you still love the guy by acting like you hate him," Miyako said with a casual shrug.

"I-I don't…!" Daisuke sputtered, cheeks turning pink. "I mean… I… I don't do that anymore!"

"It's not like I like you or anything!" Kudamon said as she twirled over Miyako's head. "Tsun-tsun-tsun! I can't be honest about a-ny-thing!"

V-mon bristled as he glared up at Kudamon. "Hey! Don't make fun of Daisuke!"

"That… that's not…," Daisuke muttered, only to trail off awkwardly, as he realized the part about not being honest about his feelings towards Ken was true at least.

Miyako grinned wryly at Daisuke. "In your case, it's the classic trope where someone becomes obsessed over another person and can't stop talking about them even if it's to claim they don't care about that person. With Narakumon, it's probably more like he doesn't want to admit he has feelings, right?" She glanced at Keiko, who nodded after a moment's consideration.

"Oh, you mean like how Sora and Taichi kept denying they were dating, even though they obviously were?" Yamato asked as he jerked a thumb at the couple in question, who both simultaneously turned red in the face and whipped about to gawk at him.

"W-we weren't!" Taichi stammered. "I mean, well, we are now, but we weren't then!"

Mimi giggled as she gave the blushing pair a knowing look. "Yamato's right. You two were just too afraid to call it dating at the time, but everyone knew you were. It was so cute~!"

"T-that was… it's…!" Sora struggled for a response as her face burned ever brighter. "I wasn't…!"

"That," Nyamon said as she pointed a claw at Sora, which only made the Chosen of Love's face turn as red as a cherry.

"Sorry, but you won't win that way," Keiko said with a crooked grin. "Denying it is exactly what tsunderes do."

FlaWizarmon and Witchmon watched the exchange from the base of Narakumon's throne, next to their diety's inert feet. After a moment, the two looked at each other in amusement.

"Don't even need to hear the other side to know what's bein' said," FlaWizarmon said, with a crooked grin. "An' know Lord Narakumon's gettin' razzed."

"That's our Lady Darkness for you," Witchmon said with a fond wistfulness to her eyes as her gaze lingered on the empty space the children kept looking to, a small part of her hoping to catch a flicker of something, anything at all. "It seems not even death took away her spark."

Monodramon frowned as he remained in the massive arched doorway, watching the exchange in complete befuddlement. He couldn't even bring himself to enter the throne room proper, as the terrifying form of the Lord of Darkness sat right in front of him in his mighty throne. His unconscious state did nothing to lessen his imposing appearance, or the threat Narakumon posed to them all. All of Monodramon's nerves were on edge as he half expected the tyrant to suddenly get up and squash them all beneath his feet, and yet none of the Chosen Children showed any sign of apprehension. Either they didn't realize the danger they were in, or they did and weren't fazed by it.

Monodramon didn't know which prospect frightened him more.

"Well, it sounds like we have a plan. Rescue Ryo, then Narakumon," Takeru said, drawing the conversation back to their actual purpose. He couldn't miss the relieved looks Sora and Taichi shot his way, but he was kind enough not to point it out. "Should we get ready? I know we're not eager to start, but delaying it will only make it harder."

Just like that, the jovial air evaporated as the oppressive weight of their mission returned to the forefront of their thoughts. For a moment, they all exchanged looks, sharing a mutual dread of once more facing the Dark Ocean.

"First things first," FlaWizarmon said as he jerked a thumb towards the still-evolved Light Digimon - and Palmon, in the form of Algomon.

Black Tailmon gave a nod before she turned to Mimi and Iori. "Right. It's time to de-evolve and hand over the Digimentals you're using."

Iori hesitated, a grimace appearing on his face. He seemed about ready to argue, as his pride bubbled up inside him once again, but he managed to quickly shove it away, forcing it down in his stomach. "R-right." He pulled out his Digivice and turned to Armadimon, who watched him with a solemn expression on his face. With but a gesture, the light of evolution overtook the small armadillo Digimon. However, rather than de-evolving back to Kyokyomon as Iori expected, he instead found himself staring at a strange tan-colored wingless dragon in black samurai armor. Iori gave a start, nearly dropping his Digivice. "K-Kyo-!?"

"Huh?" the new Digimon blinked before he looked down at himself. "Huh? I evolved?"

Iori went quiet. He could only think of one thing that had changed since they arrived in this place. He turned to Keiko, his eyes questioning. "Is it… because of what happened? Because of… that?"

"You opened up your heart a little more," Keiko said gently before turning to Nyamon and placing a hand upon the black cat's head. Unlike the living, she could at least touch her partner, which visibly relaxed her. "That's really all it takes."

Iori considered that before he lowered his gaze to the little warrior dragon beside him. "It sounds so simple, and yet… many times, it is the hardest thing to do."

Iori's partner smiled brightly up at him, his draconic tail wagging. "I evolved because I felt I-o-ri's feelings! I'm Ryudamon now!"

"Congratulations, Ryudamon," Iori said, with a soft smile. "And thank you."

Ryudamon's smile widened as he giggled, his tail wagging more vigorously.

"Mimi? I'm ready," Algomon said as she turned to her partner. She knew that the Chosen of Purity was struggling with her decision, while she didn't want to pressure Mimi, she wanted to continue giving her support.

Mimi smiled faintly at Algomon, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, at least you won't have to stay in that scary evolution any longer." With that, she used her Digivice to revert her partner back to Palmon before transferring the Digimental to Jou.

Palmon moved to hug Mimi, her grip tight. "It's fine, Mimi. Sora's right - it's unfair to make you do all the hard things all the time."

"Right," Sora said as she moved to place her hand against Mimi's back. "You've done more than enough."

Mimi returned the hug just as tightly before giving Sora a weak but grateful smile. "I guess you would know, right, Sora?"

Sora nodded, returning the smile with a soft one of her own.

A flash of light signalled Tentomon's evolution, and he soon appeared at the form he had back when they were first trying out the Digimentals - Blade Kuwagamon. The sword-like bug Digimon hovered in the air thanks to his electric wings. "I am ready, Koshiro."

Jou glanced at Koshiro and Blade Kuwagamon before turning to Gomamon. He wasn't sure what to expect, but if Algomon was anything to go by, he had to be prepared for anything. "Um, are you ready, Gomamon?"

"More ready than you are," Gomamon said with a wink. "Let's go viral."

Jou gave a small nod before he lifted his Digivice, pointing it at his partner. The evolution that overtook Gomamon was gigantic, easily the size of a house. Disturbingly, he too looked hauntingly similar to Devimon, though with fins on his pointed head and a third red eye. Most striking of all were the fact that his hands ended in massive white tentacles framed in lengthy black claws, two more identical tentacles came from his back along with an array of undulating slender black tendrils that hid amidst his tattered black cloak.

"MarinDevimon!" the new horrifying evolution proclaimed in a low, rumbling tone that sounded like thunder.

Jou's eyes widened as his glasses slid down his nose slightly. "Ah."

Mimi shuddered and shot Miyako an accusing look. "Why are all your Digimental evolutions so creepy!?"

Rather than appear chastised, Miyako grinned smugly and took a moment to readjust her glasses before delivering a retort. "I don't do cute."

Iori gave Miyako a pointed look, a whisper of a smile creeping in at the corners of his mouth. "So is that why you have a complete set of-"

"Shuuush your face!" Miyako said loudly to drown out Iori's words as she shoved her hands over his mouth, her cheeks tinted just a bit pink.

Kudamon was quick to join in, flopping down on top of Iori's head. "Don't you know it's rude to talk about a lady's business without her consent?"

Iori simply grinned behind Miyako's hands, but said nothing more.

Koshiro let out a thoughtful hum as he looked over MarinDevimon. "This might be something to analyze sometime when we don't have more pressing business to deal with." He paused upon noticing a couple confused looks and rushed to clarify. "I mean, similarities between evolutions, both due to the Digimentals and the Digimon they're used on. There should be some sort of reason for who evolves into what and how."

"Welp, looks like they're ready," FlaWizarmon said as he turned to Witchmon. "All yours."

V-mon frowned before he turned to Daisuke, noting the troubled expression on his partner's face. "Daisuke… are you sure about this? I won't let anyone bully you into doing what you don't want to do."

Daisuke looked to V-mon, conflict clearly warring across his face. "I…"

A feeling of cold on his shoulder stopped him from trying to say anything, drawing his attention back to Keiko. Meeting the red gaze of the dead girl, he had to suppress a shudder as she leaned in close to him, but, surprisingly, he saw sadness in her eyes rather than judgement.

"I was watching you," Keiko said quietly so that only he would hear her. "Not just what happened with Wormmon, but every time you met with Ken-chan." She smiled faintly. "You made him happy. Even after everything Zeed Millenniumon and the Dark Ocean did to him."

Daisuke flinched, his insides recoiling and going cold as if the ghost had punched him in the gut with her words alone. Moisture welled up in his eyes that he struggled to suppress with all his might, refusing to cry again, not with everyone here. When he had it under control, he forced out a weak whisper. "Why? Why… don't you hate me… for what I did to them?"

A breathy chuckle escaped Keiko and her smile turned wry. "Don't get me wrong. Watching you blow up at Ken-chan had me screaming and swearing at you from all the way here in the Dark World. If I was still alive, I'd sock you a good one for it."

She swiped a fist at Daisuke's face, causing him to jerk back with a yelp, more from the suddenness than the terrible cold left behind. He shivered at the sensation and rubbed his cheek where her hand passed through.

"So… then… why…?" Daisuke eventually managed to croak out.

"I also saw your talk with your friend over there," Keiko said quietly, nodding her head in Taichi's direction. "And other things too." Her eyes took on a sharp, almost wicked gleam. "There's nothing else for the dead to do but watch, you know."

Daisuke went pale at the implications. "I… you…"

Keiko gave Daisuke's shoulder a pat, sending fresh waves of bone-deep cold through him as she smiled brightly. "I'll only hate you if you decide to change your mind about Ken-chan again. So... Don't. Okay?"

"I won't!" Daisuke responded a little too quickly and a little louder than he intended. He winced, his straying eyes catching the fact that practically everyone was watching his hushed conversation with a ghost and quickly dropped his voice back to a whisper. "I-I know I messed up, but I… I'm going to make it right. I promise." He faltered for a moment, grimacing. "Even… even if Ken and I… even if we can never be friends again, I'll make things right."

Keiko's expression softened. "That is why I'm giving you a mission just as important as saving Ryo." She gave Daisuke one last pat then straightened up, folding her arms in front of her. "Make Ken-chan happy."

"I…" Daisuke felt overwhelmed by the order, by Keiko in general, but he simply could not refuse. "I'll… I'll try."

Keiko nodded then shifted her gaze to V-mon. "V-mon, your mission, naturally, is to help Daisuke with his mission. You know Ken-chan made Daisuke happy too, so getting them through this is important."

V-mon huffed, his cheeks puffing out. "I will always help Daisuke, mission or no mission!"

Keiko smirked as she poked V-mon's pointed nose, causing him to jerk back with a yelp. "That means no getting angry at Ken-chan or Wormmon anymore, even if they snap at Daisuke because of what happened. That won't help Daisuke make up with them, let alone be friends again."

V-mon blinked before his sulk turned into an uneasy frown. He couldn't argue with what Keiko was saying. While he didn't particularly like the idea of not actively defending Daisuke, he also couldn't deny the possibility that he might actually make things worse. "Even if they're being mean?"

Keiko's smile faltered a bit as sadness crept into her eyes. "Wormmon… he's still tainted… and even though I kept the Dark Ocean from touching him, that doesn't mean Ken-chan didn't hear whatever they were whispering to him all that time. They're not going to be doing well in here," she pointed to her head, "or here." She placed her hand over her chest. "That means they might say or do things they don't really mean, especially since they're probably both hurting still, and I know it's going to hurt… and I know you're going to get angry… but if you and Daisuke keep getting angry at Ken-chan and Wormmon, the cycle is never going to end. It's only going to lead to more pain for everybody, including Daisuke."

V-mon slouched at that, lowering his head to stare at the floor. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was cause pain to Daisuke, for any reason. "I'll do my best." He muttered, quietly.

"I know you will," Keiko said with a bit more cheer than before. "That's why I'm trusting you two to help them."

Daisuke drooped a little, uncertainty wavering in his heart, before he gave himself a mental shake. Straightening, he forced himself to meet Keiko's gaze, no matter how deeply it pierced him, as he placed a hand atop V-mon's head. "We won't let you down."

That was when Daisuke noticed FlaWizarmon and Witchmon leaning over his shoulders, staring at him intensely. With a howl, he scrambled backwards, arms flailing, only to lose his balance and hit the floor with a thud.

"Oh, don't mind us, dearie," Witchmon said, showing off her razor sharp teeth in a wicked curve of a smile. "Don't let us interrupt your little chat."

Daisuke felt his cheeks burn. "Don't mind?! You were listening in!"

FlaWizarmon tipped back his hat. "Can't rightly listen to a conversation properly when you're only gettin' half of it, now can ya?"

"You shouldn't be listening at all!" V-mon snapped as he pointed at FlaWizarmon, then Witchmon.

"Well, we couldn't help it, yeah?" FlaWizarmon said as he tilted his head to the side. "We're all waitin' on you, holdin' up the trip back. So what else were we gonna do?"

"Stand back and wait!" Daisuke snapped hotly as he climbed to his feet. "You don't see anyone else sneaking over here to listen in on someone else's private conversation, do ya!?"

FlaWizarmon quirked an eyebrow as he silently looked at Daisuke before he meaningfully lifted his gaze upwards.

As if on cue, Kudamon let out a yelp as she hovered above the small group before she did her best to appear indifferent, though she was clearly flustered. "What a rude accusation! I'm just floating around aimlessly, that's all! Minding my own business, unlike you two!"

Daisuke outright gawked at Kudamon before he rounded on the Digimon's partner. "Miyako!"

Miyako fluttered wide, innocent eyes at the call of her name. "Yes, Daisuke? You called?"

The reaction was more than enough to confirm Daisuke's suspicions. With a wordless cry of frustration, he stamped his foot, ready to storm off, when a shock of bone-chilling cold froze him in place.

"Daisuke," Keiko said gently, her hand partially inside the boy's shoulder.

Daisuke stared through those red eyes and felt a wave of shame overtake him as he realized he had, once again, lost his temper. He had to look away from Keiko. It took him a moment to choke out a weak reassurance not only to her, but himself as well. "I'll do better than this. I will." He clenched his fist so tight it shook. "I have to."

Keiko nodded with a gentle smile before she redirected her attention. "V-mon."

V-mon wrinkled in nose, looking at Keiko with clear frustration. "I know, I know, don't fight them."

Keiko's expression turned mischievous. "Actually, I was going to ask you for a favor. Could you please knock off FlaWizarmon and Witchmon's hats and remind them not to listen in on my private conversations?"

V-mon paused before his expression grew gleeful. "You got it!" With a blink of an eye, he jumped up to whap both Digimon's hats straight backwards at the same time, knocking said hats to the floor with an unceremonious 'flop' and a yowl from Witchmon's ghostly cat.

FlaWizarmon blinked before he straightened up to look at Witchmon. "M'dear, I think we just got told."

Witchmon sighed as her ghost cat flew up around her shoulders. "Perhaps we should've put a little more consideration into the half of the conversation we couldn't hear."

"Oh, and go ahead and prank those two somehow while you're at it," Keiko added merrily as she gestured to Miyako and Kudamon with a wide smile, no longer keeping quiet. "They don't have hats to knock off, you know."

"Wait, what?" Miyako asked as she stared at Keiko, blinking.

V-mon turned to Miyako and Kudamon with a mischievous grin on his face, tail wagging. "I'll think of something~!"

Keiko grinned at Miyako and wagged a chiding finger. "Didn't you know it's rude to listen in on private conversations?"

Miyako blinked before her expression deadpanned. "Says the ghost who's been spying on us."

"Ghosts don't have that rule," Keiko said sweetly. "One of the few privileges of being dead."

"I'm not afraid," Kudamon said with a huff. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Something involving poop," V-mon said, 'innocently'.

Kudamon paused at that before she bristled. "D-d-don't you dare! Gross, gross, gross!"

"Okay, no," Miyako said as she pointed at Keiko. She then redirected her finger at V-mon. "And secondly no. No, no, no, hell no!"

"No poop!" Mimi shrieked, the single word bringing her attention to the conversation with laser-like focus. "If you've got to throw a prank, it can't have poop! I won't allow it!"

"That's right," Miyako said. A moment later, she caught up with the rest of what Mimi said. "Wait…"

Palmon felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face as she side-eyed her partner. "Mimi…"

Keiko folded her hands demurely behind her back, her expression cheerful and innocent. "I was actually thinking more along the lines of startling them when they weren't expecting it, but don't let me tell you how to have fun, V-mon."

V-mon's expression was wicked as his tail wagged vigorously behind him. "Who knows what can happen when you're not around to stop meeee~?"

Nyamon chuckled as she gave a wry shake of her head.

Takeru glanced sideways to Hikari. "I think… we've gone so far off topic that we're completely off the rails at this point."

Hikari nodded before dropping her voice to a whisper. "I know, but Keiko seems so happy right now… I feel bad having to stop it." She paused for a moment, her gaze straying to Daisuke. "And it seems like she's trying to help Daisuke out too." She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. If Keiko could so easily forgive Daisuke for hurting Ken, what did that say about her and the sickly resentment that still pooled inside her heart?

"Well, on that lovely and ominous note… it's your turn, my dear~!" FlaWizarmon said as he grinned at Witchmon, placing his hat back on his head.

Witchmon smiled, throwing her arms open wide. "Gather 'round, dearies. I'll take you to the Crystal Tower's living area." She winked. "I'm sure you'll find plenty of games and food there to occupy yourselves with while you wait for the rest of us to finish up down here."

"I understand," Iori said. However, as he moved to walk past Miyako, she quickly latched onto his arm and leaned in close.

"Watch him for me!" Miyako said, her voice low. "Don't let him out of your sight!"

"That's an order!" Kudamon said as she landed on her partner's head, fur bristled. "No poop!"

Iori's cheek quirked in to a lopsided grin. "I understand. No poop."

"He won't leave my sights!" Ryudamon said firmly as he stood at attention.

"That's what yooooou think," V-mon chirped as he smugly stood beside Witchmon, then turned up to grin at Daisuke mischievously. "Don't ever underestimate Daisuke, or me!"

Daisuke knew he shouldn't encourage V-mon's perchance to prank with poop, which was why he hid his smile behind his hand.

"Oh, Mimi!" Sora said as she clapped her hands together, interrupting the conversation. "That means you could get a better look around the tower, and maybe even find something that might help us!"

Mimi's eyes lit up at the idea, and she nodded, eager to feel as though she was contributing something while her friends were going on a terrible mission. "Great idea, Sora! We can see if there's any other Digimon around here who might know anything. Cassandramon was kind of creepy, but she might want to talk to us some more."

FlaWizarmon's cheek twitched before he turned to Mimi. "If yer gonna do that, just be careful when talkin' to her, Purity Darlin'. You don't know what she's up to, an' she'll only tell you what she wants you to know."

"Huh?" Mimi blinked at FlaWizarmon, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

FlaWizarmon paused as he pressed his fingertips together, bringing his hands to his mouth. "Darlin', she's a seer. She sees glimpses of the future - all futures."

"Really?" Palmon asked, with a blink.

"Really," FlaWizarmon said. "And she always has, even back then."

"L-Lady Cassandramon is known as the Seer of Huanglongmon!" Monodramon chirped, from the doorway. "T-that was why Lord Zhuqiaomon wanted to speak to her so badly!"

"How is that even possible?" Koshiro asked, utterly baffled. "I mean, computer programs can go through the possibilities of variables, but that's not the same as predicting the future."

"Miracles," Nyamon replied. "Miracles can do anything."

Taichi frowned, crossing his arms in front of himself as he raised an eyebrow at the dark feline. "In other words, Miracles is probably why all the crazy impossible stuff with the Digital World even happens, right?"

Nyamon gave a nod. "Pretty much. It even allowed Ryo to evolve Digimon that weren't his partners. It's an incredible - and very unpredictable - power."

"So Cassandramon can see the future," Black Tailmon said. "That seems like all the more reason to talk to her, doesn't it?"

"It won't do you no good," FlaWizarmon muttered, clenching his fists.

"Why?" Takeru asked, blinking.

For a moment, FlaWizarmon said nothing. "'Cuz Cassandramon would have known - must have known - what would happen to Ryo at the Battlefield Memorial," he finally spat out tersely. "And to Lady Keiko."

Hikari froze at that. "What?"

FlaWizarmon turned to Hikari, his expression full of a hatred that burned so intently it threatened to consume him. "And she did nothing to stop it."

Hikari's eyes widened, even as her pupils shrank to mere dots.

"She let Lady Keiko die!" Witchmon seethed as she clenched her fists together, her ghost cat howling in fury atop her head. "She let everyone die!"

In her mind's eye, Hikari saw that glimpse of Keiko's fragmented, burnt form. Although she did not have a lot of medical knowledge when it came to injuries, she knew that even a minor burn was exceedingly painful. Unthinkingly, she turned to Keiko, who stood deceptively whole, but transparent.

Keiko was rigid as a statue, her fists clenched tight at her sides. She said nothing, but it was clear by her expression that such news did not surprise her in the slightest. Beside her, Nyamon's bristled fur and steely stare at the floor only confirmed it.

"Oh… oh Keiko," Hikari breathed. Caught up on instinct, she moved to hug Keiko, but all she felt was cold that seeped into her bones as her arms went right through the ghost girl. She jerked back, berating herself for forgetting such an obvious thing when the reminder was sure to only cause Keiko even more pain. Just the thought of it brought tears to her eyes.

Keiko let out a breathless sigh as she untensed a little and moved her arms around Hikari in a pantomime of a hug. "Stop it. You didn't have anything to do with it." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "You didn't know."

"If that's true, that's all the more reason to speak to her," Iori said, his expression hard even as his own eyes blazed. "We must ask her to explain herself."

"She won't answer you," FlaWizarmon said with a humorless chuckle. "She don't answer anyone."

"That is not the point," Iori said, his fists clenched. "It is a question that must be asked… it must be voiced."

Miyako gnawed on a fingernail, her expression twisted up, before she caught herself and tucked her arms against her chest. "Sounds like something you can do while the rest of us are here." She hesitated a moment, her lips curled in a sour shape. "Just be careful. If that Digimon is playing chess master, she might not think twice about seeing us as pawns to get knocked off the board when it suits her."

"'Xactly," FlaWizarmon said, with a savage nod.

"Cassandramon isn't shy about letting us know she's manipulating us either," Witchmon said, showing off her sharp teeth in a sneer.

"Wait, wait, hold on," Daisuke said as his hands went up to touch his head. "You're telling me… she knows shit like this is gonna happen and doesn't bother warning anyone!? The whole thing with the orb and Hikari and powering up Millenniumon and killing Keiko and Ryo and Ken going crazy and me freaking out and creating Armagemon?!"

Witchmon raised an eyebrow at Daisuke before glancing at FlaWizarmon out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes," FlaWizarmon said as he turned to Daisuke, expression still fierce. "And she knew that Wormmon would be killed, and that this…" He swept his hand towards Narakumon. "…would happen to Narakumon as a result." He pointed his hand downward, his face twisting in a snarl. "She - knew - everything!"

"What the hell!" Taichi shouted, righteous anger welling up inside of him. "Whose side is she supposed to be on!?"

"Why didn't she do anything to stop any of that!?" Daisuke snapped at the same time, his voice unintentionally colliding with Taichi's.

Koshiro felt his uneasiness grow at this new information, which immediately brought forth a myriad of terrifying possibilities to his mind. "Is she really supposed to be on the side of the DigiGods and the Digital World?"

"Tenraimon had faith in her," Nyamon said, stiffly. "But who can really say?"

"There are only three things about Cassandramon that we know to be true," Witchmon said darkly, her long sharp fingers curling around the handle of her broom. "Her loyalty to Huanglongmon will never waver, she knows how to manipulate anyone to walk whatever path to the future she directs, and she always chooses the path that will lead to what she believes is the 'best' future… no matter how bloody the path is."

V-mon raised his clenched fists as he bared his teeth. The very idea that Daisuke's suffering could've been avoided - and wasn't - and in fact was allowed to happen filled him with a fury he had never felt before. "I'm gonna… I'm gonna get her! I'm gonna make her regret everything she's done!"

Takeru trembled slightly as he gathered his thoughts before he gave a shake of his head. "Which means she's probably not at the Crystal Tower anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Yamato asked.

"If she can really see the future, she would have known that you'd tell us all this," Takeru said as he turned to FlaWizarmon and Witchmon, who nodded in response. "Which means she will try to avoid us."

"You say that as if that Digimon has even a shred of regret or shame in her body," FlaWizarmon growled. "Let me tell you - she doesn't. She doesn't care what you think about her. She may even be there right now, waiting for ya'll."

"Well, then we should not keep her waiting any longer," Iori said as he turned to Witchmon. "Witchmon, if you would, please? There is a conversation that needs to happen."

Witchmon nodded. "As you say, dearie."

Hikari knelt down in front of Black Tailmon and hugged her partner tightly. "Keep everyone safe for me," she murmured. "Including yourself."

"I will," Black Tailmon said as she returned the embrace. "And you do the same." She held onto that moment and her partner for as long as she could before she stepped back and readied herself to march into the bowels of hell.

Miyako clenched her teeth then grabbed Daisuke by the shoulder and yanked him close so she could whisper quickly in his ear. "Keep an eye on Iori for me and don't just believe everything Cassandramon says or rise to any bait from her if you do see her again."

Daisuke stared at Miyako, taken aback by her rushed order, but had no chance to respond before Witchmon swept him and the rest who were leaving up in her cloak. A moment later, they were gone.


The glittering interior of the Crystal Tower quickly replaced that of the solemn Temple of Darkness, leaving a rather strong juxtaposition for the disoriented trio and their Digimon. As they gathered their bearings, glancing around at each other and the massive room they had appeared in, Witchmon spared only a moment to glance around suspiciously before disappearing within her cloak once more.

While Iori noticed a wide assortment of entertainment - all made of crystal, naturally - around them, ranging from board games and toys to even what appeared to be a television set, the Chosen of Honor had no interest in any of them. Instead, he was looking for something, or rather someone, else entirely. And to his great irritation, it seemed that they were completely absent.

"Cassandramon is not here," Iori said, his voice hard. "Takeru was right. She knew we were coming and-"

"…Remained out of view," a female voice finished for him, causing the Chosen Children and their partners to jump and whip about to the source. Cassandramon entered the room through the doorway, her expression serene. "So that Witchmon would not notice her and thus return to the others quickly, as expected."

Mimi clasped her hands to her chest, as if trying to push her heart back into place after being so startled. "I-it's-!"

"It's you!" Palmon said as she pointed.

"Yes," Cassandramon said, with no change to her demeanor or expression. "It is me."

Iori stared at Cassandramon before his expression hardened. "So, it is true. You knew they would tell us, and that they would send us back."

"I know many things," Cassandramon replied. "I see many things."

"Like Keiko and Ryo dying?" Daisuke snapped, his expression harsh. "Or Ken becoming the Digimon Kaiser, or Wormmon getting turned into Armagemon, and he and Tailmon and all those other Digimon getting killed?" Without waiting for an answer, his temper exploded. "If you could see that shit happening, why didn't you try to stop it!?"

Cassandramon tilted her head to the side as she stared at Daisuke. "Is it my responsibility to protect you from your mistakes?"

Daisuke flinched back as though struck. He tried to respond, but nothing came.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" V-mon demanded as he moved in front of his partner, glaring furiously at Cassandramon.

"Wormmon would still be alive if not for you," Cassandramon replied, all three of her eyes focusing exclusively on Daisuke with an unnatural intensity. "Does my decision to not interfere absolve you of responsibility for your actions? Is his blood no longer on your hands?"

Daisuke staggered back a step, then another. He nearly took a third when he forced himself to stop, to say something. "I-I…"

"Wormmon would also be alive if you had said something!" V-mon snapped.

"Would he?" Cassandramon asked as she tilted her head in the other direction. "Would you have listened to me? You did not listen to Hikari."

Daisuke clutched his chest, trembling, as his head sunk low.

Hikari hated that a small part of her felt vindicated by Cassandramon's words. She took that feeling and forged it into a fire that pushed her to step forward and meet Cassandramon's gaze. "That's enough. Daisuke… Daisuke's been through enough."

Despite the pain in his heart, Daisuke felt it ease just a fraction. "Hikari…"

"Has he?" Cassandramon asked as she met Hikari's gaze. "Would you say it's as much as he has put the Chosen of Kindness through? Would you say it compares to even a fraction of his suffering?" As she spoke, she turned her attention back to Daisuke with laser-guided focus.

"Why you-!" V-mon snarled as he began to pinwheel his arms furiously. "You-!"

Mimi suddenly got between Daisuke and Cassandramon, fixing the tall, stone-faced Digimon a fierce glare. "Stop it! Stop picking on Daisuke right now!"

"That's enough!" Iori barked, his fierce eyes fixed piercingly on Cassandramon.

"That's right!" Ryudamon said as he crouched, tail whapping the ground behind him. "Listen to I-o-ri!"

Hikari took a deep breath and straightened her back as she glared up at Cassandramon. "It doesn't matter who is hurting more than who. No one should be hurting at all. Daisuke knows what he did was wrong, and he wants to make amends for it. That's what's important."

Cassandramon finally tore her gaze away from Daisuke to meet Hikari's, showing no outward reaction even under her intense stare. "I agree."

"I can see why FlaWizarmon and Witchmon don't like her," Palmon muttered as she turned to Mimi, her face twisted in a sour grimace.

Mimi nodded, her cheeks puffing out in an irritable huff.

"So you don't deny it, then?" Iori asked. "That you knew about Keiko and Ryo, and what would happen?"

"I don't deny anything," Cassandramon said as she pressed her fingertips together in a steeple. "I saw many outcomes - including the current one."

"So you let Keiko die!?" Iori demanded, even his usually calm demeanor cracking. "You let everyone die!?"

"Everyone did not die," Cassandramon replied. "There were several survivors."

Iori felt his cheek twitch, his jaw clenching. It took everything he had not to violently retort to the dragon Digimon's use of semantics, as if it in any way changed the situation at hand.

Such a casual answer shook Hikari to her core. "Why…? Why would you…?"

"What about Kyoumon!?" Palmon demanded as she stepped towards Cassandramon.

"He died after the battle," Cassandramon said as she owlishly stared down at Palmon, who glared back as she began to tremble. "Not during it."

"What do you even want!?" Mimi asked, tears forming in her eyes even as she kept herself firm. More and more it became clear that there was no reasoning with such a heartless Digimon. "Were you waiting just to taunt us!?"

"No, I was not," Cassandramon replied, then turned on her heel and slowly walked towards the doorway. "Follow me."

"And why would we even think of following you!?" V-mon demanded as his tail lashed about behind him furiously.

Cassandramon stopped in the doorway and glanced back to the Chosen Children. "Because I am taking you to the room of Ken Ichijouji."


To say that the Chosen were reluctant to leave the Temple of Darkness was putting it mildly. In spite of this looming dread, the Chosen understood that they had a mission to complete, and that required them to venture back in to the Dark World - to the very heart of the Dark Ocean itself.

True to expectations, when the Darkness Chosen stepped out of the temple, the Dark Ocean rushed backwards, leaving behind a path far more broken than before, until it reached its sandy borders once more. However, its lashing waves clawing at the land seemed far more angry than subdued, as if acutely aware that its prize had escaped, and the rumbles of countless voices seemed ever the more aggressive as its waters churned before them.

"So I guess now's the time," Takeru muttered, lingering beside his brother even as he stared out at the ocean. He couldn't help but feel his skin crawl, as if he was being sized up by dozens of hungry eyes. The faint murmuring of distant voices, shrieking and shouting, was a hauntingly familiar reminder of what could happen if the Dark Ocean reached them.

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing now?" Yamato asked as he turned his head just enough to eye Monodramon, noting how uneasy their supposed guide looked as he too stared out at the vast water of nightmares. "Besides staring into the lion's den, I mean."

"I'm also a bit curious," Nyamon said as she peered down at Monodramon, who was oblivious to her scrutiny. "What exactly does Zhuqiaomon think he's going to accomplish that even Narakumon couldn't?"

Monodramon blinked, startled out of his stupor, before he turned to see Yamato and the others staring at him. He blushed lightly before he gave himself a shake. "R-right! I… it's up to me, now!"

"This should be good," FlaWizarmon muttered out of the corner of his mouth to Witchmon as he crossed his arms.

"I'll bet you a slice of cake that it's something to do with fire," Witchmon said lightly as she nudged FlaWizarmon's shoulder with her elbow. "Zhuqiaomon can never resist the chance to show off his power."

Monodramon reached his claws up to press them against his forehead, around the gem nestled there. Before the Chosen's and assembled Digimon's very eyes, the gem began to glow gold - as did the crest of Miracles around his neck.

The light intensified before it suddenly burst forth like a beam, surging from the gem straight into the Dark Ocean itself. The second the light touched the water, it spread rapidly, turning black to gold. The instant the change began, the water churned violently with the sound of several screams ranging from fear to pure rage.

While the water was spinning slowly at first, it soon intensified. The waves grew rough, thrashing about violently as the ocean itself appeared to be spinning like a golden current within the blackness. Suddenly, the water shot upwards in a great waterspout that stretched high into the overcast sky.

As the waterspout grew, something began to form within it. A golden light in the shape of a small dragon appeared within the swirling water, though seemingly unaffected by the torrent even as it grew massive in size. Curled in a fetal position, the glowing form trembled for a moment before it suddenly threw its head backwards and let out a piercing scream that burst not only itself but the waterspout as well. Water flew in all directions as the ocean parted in all directions, like the tides receding. However, unlike normal tides, it instead carved a path straight down in to the very depths of the Dark Ocean itself, the water seemingly held back by golden walls.

FlaWizarmon stared blankly at the scene before him before he finally found his voice. "...The hell just happened."

Nyamon outright gawked, her pupils like mere dots as her ears canted back and her fur bristled all along her spine.

Keiko stared at the spectacle, disbelieving. No matter how long she looked at it, she simply couldn't parse the scene of the unruly Dark Ocean not only being parted neatly to create a path into its depths but to be held rigidly black by golden light that resisted not only the water's strength but its taint as well.

Even Monodramon appeared surprised by what had happened, gaping out at the sight before him as the gem on his brow and the Crest of Miracles around his neck both continued to glow gold. However, he quickly recovered with a shake of his head before he turned to smile brightly at the stunned Chosen Children. "L-Lord Zhuqiaomon is leading the way! L-l-let's go find Lord Ryo!"

Taichi's jaw hung open for a long time before he finally let out a low whistle. "Okay, that is cool."

"Positively biblical," Miyako muttered, though she was too distracted to allow herself to be awed. In spite of herself, her thoughts kept straying back to Iori.

Kudamon looked down at her partner before she hovered down to drape her long body across Miyako's shoulders. "If you're that worried, we could still go back, you know."

"No way," Miyako said without hesitation, her eyes never straying from the ocean. "I'm needed here."

"Well, then," Kudamon said. "Let's get going! The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get the hell outta here!"

"Agreed," Black Tailmon said with a snap of her tail. "We've delayed long enough."

Taichi gave a sharp nod before he clenched his fist, holding it upwards. "Let's go, everyone!"