Chapter Ten:

The Keys

As Autumn and Starla rode on Jager Lowemon and Kendo Garurumon respectively, Autumn sighed. She knew that Myotismon was one to try and fool people, but she had hoped that they had finally seen the last of him when they supposedly defeated him. However when Kari told her that Ophanimon supposedly met them at the castle, she knew that it was finally time to brake the seal that was placed on the Keys. Even if she didn't want to, because she alone knew what it would mean if they did. Still they didn't have a choice now.

"Autumn?" Kouichi asked as they ran to the south temple.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?" he asked concerned. Autumn was always thinking about how things could have been done different but he was worried about how quiet she had been.

"Yeah I'm just thinking." she said.

"Alright well, where do we go once we get to the Flaming Lake?" Kouji asked

"You don't go anywhere." Autumn sighed. "I go alone from there. The temple is in the middle of the Lake."

"Alright then, just be careful." Kouichi said as they reached the lake.

"I will." Autumn said. "Come on Wizardmon."

"Right." he said and the two flew to the middle of the lake and walked into the building there.

As Autumn was looking for her Keys, Kari and the others were getting closer to the temple where her and Taiyou's Key Cards were at when they were attacked by the same Digimon that Ryo warned them would attack. Kari sighed as she looked toward the clown.

"Kari is that who I think it is?"

"Piedmon? Yes that's exactly who it is." Kari said looking at the temple. They were so close, to getting home.

"I don't get it." Yuuki said. "I thought he wouldn't attack until after Myotismon was gone."

"Obviously not. Kari you and Taiyou had better get into that temple and get those Keys." Tai said looking at Yuuki and the others. "We'll hold him off."

"Alright. Tai just be careful, he's tricking." Kari said "Taiyou, are you ready?"

"Yeah let's get going." Taiyou said and the two quickly ran into the temple.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Autumn quickly ran through the temple when she was attacked by a fireball. When the attack came she knew that they didn't recognize her, though she couldn't blame them. The last time she was there she was a child. Still she was glad that Flamedramon was still there guarding the Cards like she asked him to.

"Flamedramon stop!" she shouted reusing to allow Wizardmon to defend her. "It's me Autumn."

"Autumn? Autumn Toshiro? Zhuqiaomon's chosen?" he asked

"Yes." she confirmed. "I'm here to dissolve the seal."

"Why?" Flamedramon asked suspiciously.

"Because Myotismon managed to get to the human world and we need the Key Cards to get home." Autumn told him. "Flamedramon please, we need help."

"I believe you, Autumn." he said. "Here are the Keys and I will join you."

"Thank you." she said taking them.

"Autumn you must hurry. I'm sure by now Piedmon has located and targeted the others to stop you all from going home." Flamedramon told her.

"Understood." she said and she ran out to where the others were, who looked bored, but otherwise alright.

"Are you alright, Autumn?" Kouichi asked as she and Wizardmon landed beside him.

"Yeah, but the others are in trouble." she told them. "We have to get to them now."

"Alright then lets go." Kouji said, and both transformed into their fusion forms while Autumn had Wizardmon digivolved to his ultimate form. "I just hope that they're alright."

"Don't worry we'll get to them." Kouichi said and they all took off.

Once Kari and Taiyou were inside their own temple, Kari was pulled to the left while Taiyou was pulled to the right. After confirming that one another were alright, they both started going into separate directions. But for some reason hadn't met anything to stop them. When they got to the room where the Keys were, Kari noticed that Taiyou's Cards had been placed with Kari's in order to farther protect them. Smiling Kari went to pick the Cards up when they were finally attacked. Luckliy Kari recognized the attack and was glad that Andromon was still guarding the temple like she had asked him too.

"Andromon, stop!" she shouted, holding Gatomon back from defending her. "It's me Kari Kamiya!"

"Kari? Oh yes Kari it is you. You've returned." said the android Digimon. "Are you here for the Key Cards?"

"Yes." she said "This is Taiyou Nonaka, she's the fourth Keeper."

"Yes, I recognize the energy of the Shadow Crest. Here are you Keys, Kari." Andromon said handing them to her. "And your Keys Taiyou." he added handing Taiyou hers. "I believe you're needed outside. Please allow me to join you."

"Of course Andromon, you are a trusted friend." Kari said smiling. "Alright, lets get back outside. They are facing Piedmon, after all."

Once Takuya and the others got to the battlefield he and Autumn, who had joined them in the Dark Continent, saw that it wasn't just a regular battle and that they were facing Piedmon, just as Autumn had told them. "Hey Zoe I don't think that my fusion alone is going to be enough to stop them. Do you mind lending me your spirit?"

"No I don't mind." she said

"Alright. Tommy lets do this!" he called

"Got it. Ice into Flame!"

"Wind into Flame!" Zoe shouted as well

"Execute! Unity evolution...Emperor Greymon!" Takuya shouted as he evolved into his mega, just as Kari, Taiyou and Andromon came out of the temple.

"Hey Kari is that still Takuya?" Taiyou asked pointing to the unknown Digimon, not knowing about him and the other Warriors.

"Yes it is. I believe he's called Emperor Greymon." Kari told her

"Well as long as he's still an ally." Taiyou said.

"Well, well it looks as if I have a new foe." the clown Digimon said. "And who might you be?"

"Emperor Greymon and I'm the one that is going to stop you."

"Oh please you foolish human." Lucemon said as he entered the battle smiling. "You barely defeated me and this time you don't have the rest of your little human friends here to help you."

"Damn you Lucemon!" JP shouted just as Kouji an Kouichi got there with Starla and Flamedramon, as thanks to Mistymon, Autumn caught up with Takuya and the others much sooner.

"Takuya we need to go Ancient now!" Kouji called to him and since they were there all ten of the Warriors were there as well.

"Right." he said evolving back into his human form and he held his D-Tector up as did the other Warriors. "FLAME!"

"LIGHT!" Kouji called out

"DARKNESS!" Kouichi said.

"WIND!" shouted Zoe

"ICE!" Tommy shouted along with the others.

"THUNDER!" JP called

"Ancient Spirit Unity evolution...Susanoomon!"

"No, not you again!" Lucemon shouted.

"Afraid so." the Digimon said confusing the others.

"Does any of you know what's going on here?" Tai asked looking at Autumn since she seemed to know everything about the Warriors, but for once she looked just as confused as they were.

"Don't look at me." Autumn said as she stared at the ancient Digimon. "For once I have no idea what's going on."

"We'll explain later." Susanoomon told them. "Right now Lucemon and I have some unfinished business." he added as he took off and fought with the psycotic angel.

"Well then, how shall I amuse myself now?" Piedmon said slightly annoyed, as he wanted to fight the ancient Digimon himself.

"I have an idea." TK said landing beside Kari and Taiyou. "MagnaAngemon!"

"Gatomon would you like to join me?"

"Of course." she said looking at Kari, who nodded. "Gatomon Digivolve to...Angewomon!"

"Oh please and here I thought I would actually have a challenge." Piedmon complained

"Oh believe me you'll get one, right Kari?" TK asked smiling. Obviously Piedmon was underestimating all of them.

"Right!" she agreed smiling as well.

"Oh please, how could a couple of ultimates stand up to a mega?"

"Show 'em guys!"TK shouted.

"Gate of Destiny!" shouted MagnaAngemon as the golden gate appeared behind Piedmon. "Now Angewomon!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

"N-NO! Not AGAIN!" Piedmon shouted as he went through the gate, just as Susanoomon defeated Lucemon once more.

"Well that only leave Myotismon now." Tai said as Takuya and the other Warriors joined them, once they reverted back to their human forms, however before they went after Myotismon, Kari waned to know what the deal was with them mergeing they way that they did.

"So Takuya, will you please explain that?" she asked

"Susanoomon, was the Digimon that appeared when we combined the last time we fought and defeated Lucemon." Takuya said shrugging. "But it's too long a story for right now Kari and we have to get back to the human realm. All of us do, and since you guys have to go through the gate, we'll go to the castle with you guys and hold Quartz and Onyx-"

"Don't worry about them." Azura said walking up to them with two other humans and Digimon that they had never seen before.

"Yorak?" Tai asked confused like the others were, except for Kari, who had a feeling as to what was going on and Yuuki, who actually knew what Yorak had been up to since they had left to get the Keys.

"Kari do you know what's going on here?" Autumn asked noticing her friends reaction.

"I have an idea." Kari said. "I think that just like my uncle, Onyx and Quartz were tricked into believing that they were evil. Right uncle?"

"Almost." Yorak told her. "This is Azariah and Toru. Like Akinemon, their Digimon thought that they would never come. However when they did what Azariah and Toru didn't know was that Millenniumon captured them and hide the two from the others."

"At least until Yorak found us, and explained everything." Azariah told them. "After that we found our Digimon after Lucemon and Piedmon left."

"So that's where you went when we all left." Takuya said remembering that he saw Yorak leaving as well. "You already knew about them, didn't you?"

"Yes. I found out about them when I first got to Seraphimon's castle. That's why Ophanimon and him wanted to talk to me alone." Yorak said "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but you all had enough to worry about with Myotismon after you..." and Kari just shook her head,

"It's okay. I understand that you didn't want to give us to worry about."

"No I didn't, but I also didn't tell you because I knew I was the only one that could free them." Yorak told them. "Now however we have to get you all home. Did you get the Cards?"

"I did." Autumn said. "What about you guys?"

"Taiyou and I did as well." Kari said "What about you TK?"

"Yeah I got mine too." TK said. "So what now you guys?"

"Well then we'll head back to the flame terminal since you don't seem to need us right now." Takuya told the others. "We'll meet you guys in the human world."

"Alright you guys know where Highten View Terrace is?" asked Autumn looking at Zoe smiling.

"I do and I know Takuya does too." Zoe said smiling as well. She knew that Autumn was just trying to keep things light.

"Of course I do." Takuya said rolling his eyes. "It's where I was born. We'll meet you guys there." he added as Zoe stuck her tongue out at him.

"Alright, Rika you guys go on ahead and let Ryo know what's going on. Then meet us there as well." Autumn said rolling her own eyes at the two Warriors. "Taiyou we'll need you to come with me and the others and place the Cards, are you alright with that?"

"I am. I know that I'll be safe with all of you." she said. "Is that okay, Rika?"

"Yeah, I know I can trust all of you to keep her safe." Rika said "I'll go tell Ryo what's going on and we'll meet you there."

"Alright." Tai said as they started to follow Autumn to Myotismon's castle, while Rika took off on Kyuubimon.

"Yorak are you coming with us?" Takuya asked as they began to change into their Digimon forms.

"No, we're going to keep an eye on Millenniummon." Yorak said. "Now that he's lost all of his servants, he's going to be out for blood."

"Alright then." Takuya said sadly. He had hoped that his uncle would come home now that he was free, but apparently not. "Come on you guys." he added, but Zoe could tell that he was troubled about something, as could Kouji and Kouichi, who were as close to Takuya as his own cousins. They could also tell that something had changed between Zoe and Takuya since the six went in separate directions.

"Hey Kouji, lets give them some space." Kouichi told his brother, who like Kouji understood what they were going through, having went through the same thing when they started dating Autumn and Starla. "We'll talk to Takuya about the other thing later."

"Alright."

"Be careful you guys." said Autumn as she left with the others. "Zoe, you promise me that. I know how the boys are."

"Heh, I promise." Zoe said with a laugh.

"Anyway..." Takuya said glaring at the two. "Let's go you guys." he said as he changed into Burning Greymon.

"Agreed." Zoe laughed, as she changed into Zephyrmon.

"Oh Takuya, tell your father what's going on and what's happened here as well." Yorak told him before his other nephew could leave. "Please?"

"I...I will." Takuya said roughly, turning away from his uncle and leading the way back to the Village of Flames. It was then that all of the Warriors knew something was bothering their leader.

"Hey Zoe do you know what's wrong with Takuya?" JP asked flying up to her.

"No I don't. But I do know that he'll talk about it when he wants to. That's if he wants to. He's a lot like Kouji in that sense." Zoe said worried about Takuya, but she knew better than to ask him about it. She knew that if they did that he would just shout and shrink farther into his shell.

"I heard that Zoe." Kouji called from below them.

"Sorry." she said. "Although it's kind of true...heh, heh."

"Wow, its been four years since we were all together and it's good to see that some things never change." Kouichi laughed as they ran. Like the others he could tell that there was something different about Takuya's and Zoe's relationship, and he had a pretty goo idea as to what it was.

"What do you mean by that Kouichi?" Zoe asked then she changed her mind. "Oh it doesn't matter right now, let's just get home and stop Myotismon."

"Oh man. You guys look." Takuya said as they got to the terminal. He couldn't believe the damage, the terminal was in complete ruins.

"What happened here?" Zoe asked shocked and horrified at the same time. "We have to look for someone that might know what happened here."

"I just hope that Bokomon and Neemon are alright." Takuya said landing and sliding back to his human form. "Everyone spread out and see if you can find anything or anyone."

"Alright." Zoe said as she flew higher to scout the area, just as there was a blast, and the six looked toward the forest where Kouji first transformed.

"Uh guys, was that...?" Kouichi trailed off.

"No way...It couldn't be. Dynasmon?" Kouji asked skeptically.

"We had better go check it out anyway you guys." Takuya said. "JP, you, Tommy, and Zoe look around here and find out what happened. The three of us will go and see what's going on in the forest."

"Just be careful Takuya." Zoe called as he took off running.

"We will." Takuya called back as he, Kouji, and Kouichi took off toward the forest, while the other three took off to find anyone that might know what had happened in the village.