IT. IS. ALIIIIIVE. I AM sorry for the wait, but let me just say that if I had written and posted this chapter back in August like I planned, it would have been so boring. This is a thousand times better.

Thank you to everyone who badgered me for updates. I needed that. There will not be so long of a wait for the next few chapters.


Takeru watched the digimon tuck into their meal from his spot on the Yagami's couch. It was a pre-battle feast of sorts to get their energy up. It turned out Miyako's family owned a convenient store near their apartment and got everything for a serious discount. It was a good thing too, because twelve Digimon could easy eat a person out of house and home.

Most of the chosen were clustered around Koushiro and Taichi at the kitched table, rehashing the details for their trip into the Dark Ocean. Mimi, already knowing her role, was helping Mrs. Yagami in the kitchen. They were whipping up everything and anything else they could for the digimon and their partners alike. Takeru had overheard Hikari whisper her request for Mimi to help in the kitchen, as apparently her mother had the reputation for ruining anything that should be edible.

The chosen of hope shifted against the cushions as Mimi added spices and more to pans of sizzling food when Mrs. Yagami's back was turned. Takeru didn't think her cooking was that bad on the two occasions he'd been here for a meal, but he'd also eaten birdseed, so… Really, anything was an improvement over that.

The boy did his best to relax. They had a plan. Their digimon were rested up and chowing down. They even already had the crest of courage back. He'd managed to sleep last night despite the upcoming danger. They were in good shape.

None of that was enough to stop him from being uneasy.

He fiddled with the strings from his sweatshirt, wondering why he'd chosen to sit over here by himself while everyone else was on the other side of the room. It wasn't exactly that he needed space or that he wanted some quiet to think. He just… the idea of being crowded in with everyone right now made him itchy. It was odd that no one was nagging him to join them, but then, most of the chosen children still treaded lightly around him. Taichi and Sora had been easy to reconnect with, but for the newer kids, Miyako and Iori especially, it would take a little more time.

He focused instead on Patamon. His partner was stuffing his face with onigiri and praising Upamon for bringing "those delicious goo tubes", which Takeru assumed were the yogurt to go packets Iori had shown up with. He looked so much more well rested than he had lately, invigorated by the thought of getting all their crests back. A small smile tugged at the corner of Takeru's mouth, in spite of his squirming stomach. Patamon always made him feel more at ease, even when he wasn't actively trying to.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Taichi leaving the group and heading in his direction. The chosen of hope straightened his slumping shoulders.

The leader sat next to him with a light thump, leaning back and looking up to the ceiling for a moment. Takeru waited patiently, unsure of what Taichi would say. There was a solemnity to him that Takeru had never seen.

"I don't think any of us ever apologized, " Taichi said evenly, turning to look him in the eye. "For leaving you behind. I know it was a mess and it could have been anyone who got missed, but the bottom line is that in a moment of crisis, we failed at working as a team. We should have made sure we had everyone…"

"But Gennai was the one who sent you all-" Takeru felt he had to interrupt. Not that he'd never had moment of bitterness in the years he was away, but in the end it was Myotismon's fault. This wasn't at all what he had expected Taichi to want to talk about.

"Regardless," Taichi pressed on. "I want you to know we all missed you. No matter how short a time we'd known you, there wasn't one of us who wanted to leave you there. We thought we'd have more time to search afterwards, and then… The gate closed, and it felt so final. I know we are going into a pretty scary situation now, but I promise you, we won't leave anyone behind this time. We stick together. Everyone in this room has your back. I have your back."

Takeru let the older boy finish, wide blue eyes taking in how serious he was being. The words wormed their way into his heart and started mending something he didn't even know was broken. No matter how self-assured he was, the insecurity of where he fit into all these people had lingered. Now here Taichi was, and Takeru felt like he was inviting back onto the team. His team.

Their team.

A smile lit his face, and he placed a hand on his leader's arm.

"Oh jeeze, Taichi, I was never worried about that."


Takeru landed in the sand praying this was the last time he would ever step foot in this dismal place. The first deep breath nearly sent him staggering, the scent of rotting fish and something like vinegar polluting his lungs. Yamato snagged him by the hood to stop him from falling.

"Okay yeah, I still hate this," He muttered, trying to shake off the feeling of the damp air.

"Oh my god…"

Takeru turned back to see the others in various states of disgust and dismay. Mimi was trying to breathe into her elbow, and even Palmon was attempting to touch the sand as little as possible.

"Mimi, this place feels dirty…" She wailed softly.

Jyou was pale, but keeping it together, as were most of the others. Iori stood stock still, visibly restraining himself from just walking back through the portal.

"Ken, you okay, man?" Daisuke hovered around his best friend, a hand on his back.

The chosen of kindness was shaking and looked like he was close to hurling. He scrubbed his palms over his eyes. After a few moments he managed to pull himself together. Takeru caught sight of a thin purple sheen alight under the front of his shirt.

Yamato kept a firm hand on his little brother's shoulder, grounding him as they turned to check on Hikari.

The girl was white as a sheet, staring with fearful eyes out at the ocean. Takeru wondered if she could feel her own crest somewhere out there, twisted with malice and darkness. He could.

Koushiro was the last through the portal, expression changing from curiosity to revulsion. Tentomon buzzed quietly over his head, looking up and down the beach.

"Your descriptions were entirely accurate. I don't want to study this place unless its from the comfort of the real world," He grimaced at the feel of the gritty sand filtering in through the mesh of his shoes. "Let's get this over with."

The twelve of them rounded up, their digimon keeping watch for any hint of movement.

Takeru pressed between his brother and Sora, Patamon snuggled on his shoulder.

"All right, everyone, we all know our jobs," Koushiro said shortly. "Stick to adult level as much as you can for now, we'll need to save energy for taking down the creature once we've all got our crests. Try not to let the ghosts touch you. We aren't entirely sure they have any offensive powers, but the few of you who came in contact with them yesterday said their touch left you with pins and needles. Let avoid that in case it's a way of draining energy. If anything happens, regroup here at the beach. Does anything feel like it's changed, Takeru?"

The chosen of hope stilled, doing his best to feel out as far as he could. It was hard to make out anything past their knot of light.

"I think… Mostly it's the same. One of the crests might have been moved to the fountain? I thought there were four in the well, but the light doesn't feel as strong there anymore. I don't think that changes anything though."

"Not really. Alright everyone, let's go."

Everyone nodded or hummed their consent.

He watched as Koushiro, Sora, and Iori took off on Birdramon towards the well. Mimi, Jyou, and Miyako flew off towards the fountain on Holsmon.

The beach felt a lot less bright with only six of them left in the sand.

"Do we really just hang out here until this thing decides to attack us?" Yamato grumped, glaring impatiently at the unnervingly still water. "I feel like we're sitting ducks out here."

Gabumon reached up and patted his back supportively.

Taichi glanced at Takeru, Hikari, and Ken's uncomfortable faces.

"Unfortunately, the best way to draw this thing out of the ocean is to present the biggest target. I don't exactly love it either, you know. I don't think any of us does. But it's not like anything can catch us off guard here."

"Don't worry guys!" Daisuke stepped up between his two best friends and threw his arms around their shoulders. "We are going to kick this thing's gross, seaweed ass. Nothing is going to touch you."

He paused, looking over at Takeru.

"Or you, you know. You too."

Takeru felt himself grinning at Daisuke's confidence.

All they could do now was wait.

So wait they did.

It was a few minutes later when Ken murmured,

"If we're such a big target, why isnt't anything coming to get us?" He shifted Wormmon in his arms, a puzzled look on his face. "And why hasn't the creature corrupted all the other crests? What use are they to him?"

The others gazed at him, not able to come up with any answers.

"I… I think-" Takeru held back a flinch when everyone turned abruptly towards him. "Its really hard to tell, but I think its something about where they are. The crests are all being held in water, and I think it may be pulling energy from them. They can't run out of energy, so it builds back up. They feel a little like they're pulsing, but after we got Taichi's crest back, his stopped. It feels stronger now that its back with him." He shrugged.

Tailmon squinted down at the sand, attempting to piece it all together.

"Do you think he's using the crests to weaken the barrier between the worlds? He could be pulling energy from them to hold his own portal open. Koushiro did say it must be taking an extraordinary amount of energy to hold a weak spot in place for so long. Its been weeks."

Agumon tapped his chin, considering.

Taichi nodded appreciatively.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I doubt he's going to tell us though. We might never understand all of what's going on here. Even Qinglongmon called this thing a "creature", not a Digimon. Its kind of a mystery how the thing came to be at all." He sighed. "Is it doing anything down there, Takeru?"

"Uh, its definitely keeping an eye on us," Takeru side-eyed the edge of the water uncomfortably. "But it's also trying to find the others. It hasn't moved since we got here."

He had no idea how to explain the malice, and even more disturbing, the desire that wafted through the stale air around them. How the creature deep under the murky water just felt like a thick fog of hatred and spite. How their friends were pinpricks of light on the edge of his consciousness.

"That's creepy." V-mon said.

Hikari hugged Tailmon closer, and Taichi patted her shoulder.

Another few minutes passed with a considerably higher amount of fidgeting. Daisuke and Taichi were never much for just sitting and waiting, and even Yamato was noticeably antsy.

Takeru was combing his fingers through Patamon's fur repeatedly when there was a flare of light to the north.

"Hey!" He spun around, eyes bright. "I think Sora's group got the crests! They… Oh man, he's mad!"

Before anyone could rejoice, a thick wave of static rippled over the water. Takeru backed up, heart starting to pick up its pace.

His brother was at his side instantly, their digimon throwing the beach into sharp relief with their sudden evolutions.

"Is it him?" Yamato asked sharply.

Takeru shook his head. He was momentarily distracted by Tailmon's evolution. He'd met chosen and their partners all around the world and he'd never seen another angel Digimon before…

"Greymon!" Taichi cried, yanking Takeru's attention back.

The water swelled up at the edge of the beach, and then there were dozens upon dozens of the ghost things swarming up from the water.

The giant dinosaur spewed a wall of fire around the chosen children, giving them a few precious seconds to clamber up onto their partner's backs. It didn't hold them off for long though, the grey creatures scrambling over each other to try to reach above the flames.

"Go, go, go!" Daisuke crowed from atop Exvee-mon.

"I got you covered, Teeks!" Yamato gave his little brother a thumbs up as Garurumon took the first shots at the ghosts that had flung themselves over the top of the fire.

Takeru, Hikari, and Ken took to the air, clinging tightly to their partners. Takeru smirked a bit. He was scared, yes, but Angemon was strong against dark digimon (if these counted) and it felt great to be up and flying together with his partner again. His brother circled beneath him with Garurumon, fighting tooth and nail.

Attacks flew in every direction. The ghosts would reach out a hand, and from it flew a thin bolt of darkness. Anything it hit was indeed affected by a bizarre mix of pins and needles, and a cold so severe it numbed the surrounding area.

The funny thing was, they didn't seem to be shooting much. They swarmed like ants, reaching and grasping and doing anything they could to catch hold of whatever body part was closest. It took their group a while to realize they weren't trying to hurt them.

They were trying to drag them towards the water.

Angemon swooped down and swung his staff like a baseball bat to knock another wave of ghosts off Garurumon's flank.

"These things are so annoying!" Yamato grouched. "Thanks, Angemon! How you doing, Gaurumon?"

The wolf growled and snapped at a group of enemies coming at his side.

"I wish I could fly right now, these things are everywhere. The problem is we can't seem to hurt them. You knock them down and ten seconds later, they're up again. And I don't think its because we aren't hitting hard enough!"

Greymon got closer, sweeping his tail through the masses to clear himself a path.

"You think they can't be beaten?" Taichi yelled.

"Aren't they already dead?" Angewomon flew in with Hikari, shooting arrows left and right.

Takeru's brows furrowed. If there was no way to beat them, what were they supposed to do? Just hold them off until the real enemy decided to appear? Even through the chaos, he could tell that the concentration of darkness still hadn't moved. The constant feeling of being observed was getting on his nerves though.

They rolled in the air away from a couple of dark bolts, Angemon gripping Takeru's wrist tightly to hold him in place.

"Hey!" Daisuke shouted furiously.

Takeru whipped around, alarmed at the sight that met his eyes.

A large group of ghosts had piled on top of each other, long arms and fingers stretching up to lock around Stingmon's ankle like a vice. The others were climbing the pile like a ladder only to get kicked away. The insect digimon held Ken tight in both arms, wings straining to pull them free.

Daisuke and Exvee-mon were there before Takeru could tell Angemon to help them out. The dragon digimon struck out with his laser, and then with his fists, tearing through the string of ghosts and sending them flying.

"See, I got you Ke- Whoa!"

Daisuke and his partner were forced to pull up sharply and gain altitude as another wave of ghosts reared up to grab at them as well, long fingers brushing the boy's sneakers.

Takeru adjusted his grip on his partner as they flew higher, not wanting to be in range as well.

A quick glance at the water confirmed that there was a steady stream of ghosts staggering up out of the ocean. The more there were, the more dangerous their behavior became. They were obviously hive-minded, switching targets and tactics fluidly, doing everything possible to get those airborne low enough to be in range.

Takeru's heart stuttered when he saw them turn to suddenly swarm Yamato and Garurumon, trampling those knocked down in an attempt to get them from behind.

"Don't you dare!"

Angemon was about to send them all on their asses with a well-placed Heaven's Knuckles when wing shaped flames came in from nowhere and did it for them.

"Yamato!"

Sora came flying into view then, and Takeru was taken aback. Somewhat hysterical laughter bubbled out of him involuntarily.

He'd completely forgotten how astronomically huge Garudamon was.

The massive Digimon flattened a third of their enemies when she landed, crying out their success. Kabuterimon and Ankylomon took off from her back, carrying their respective partners and joining the fray. Sora was in her digimon's outstretched hand, waving excitedly at the chosen of friendship.

"Yamato! Yamato, catch!"

The girl wound up as Garurumon leapt over, throwing a sparkling blue trinket right into Yamato's hands.

Takeru was glad he was close enough to see the smile that lit his brother's face when he tugged the necklace over his head. The older boy actually laughed, looking down at the bright blue light that flared for the first time in years.

"I thought we were supposed to wait to evolve until we really needed to?" He called up to Sora teasingly.

The chosen of love blushed in embarrassment, but giggled nonetheless.

"It was too much to resist!"

"Damn right it is!" Yamato agreed. "Go for it Garurumon!"

Takeru shook his head as Garudamon gingerly picked up Yamato from his partner's back. Weregarurumon was one of the smaller Perfect levels. Too small and quick to have a teenager hanging on his back.

"Come on you guys!" Taichi called, fond and exasperated. "If I can wait, then so can you!"

Takeru had to stop watching his friends when a black shot came so close to his face he felt its chill on his cheek.

"Sorry, Takeru," Angemon apologized, blocking more shots with his staff. "They're really coming after us and Ken now, so hang on tight!"

The ghosts were ignoring the new incomers for the most part, focusing their energy on bringing down the Shield crests. They were even leaving Hikari and Angewomon alone unless they interfered too closely.

The air was thick with attacks and there were so many ghosts on the ground that they could hardly catch sight of the sand. The others were right when they said the ghosts just kept getting up. They were already dead, they couldn't die again. This was basically the digital underworld.

Takeru was shaken from that line of thinking as something occurred to him.

"Angemon! Do you think they're possessed or- I mean, I know that they're working with the creature here, but what if they aren't evil and he's controlling them? Could we heal them instead?"

His partner hummed, spinning them around to give Kabuterimon more space to dodge.

"Its likely, Ta-"

Angemon paused when a flare of light came from deep in the abandoned city.

Their friends had gotten a hold of the other set of crests.

There was no time to celebrate, because immediately after, the very air thickened with cold hatred.

"Angemon evolve. Evolve please, now now nownow-" Takeru clung to his partner's shoulders, eyes glued to the water. Something black flickered on the horizon.

Angemon pulled him around to his front and curled around him, light bursting from within. The boy's heart fluttered in his chest.

A shock wave slammed into them, wrenching them from the air. Takeru cried out in shock, unable to see what was happening beyond the light of the evolution. The blast sent them careening to the sand. Their impact nearly jarred Takeru out of Holyangemon's arms as the digimon solidified around him.

There was a fleeting moment where Takeru wondered if they would be overtaken by the now hundreds of swarming ghosts. Then they were shooting into the air again and his partner was frantically asking if he was alright.

Takeru gasped, too rattled to answer. There was so much noise. Was everyone okay? He tried to check on them, eyes wide. He couldn't- he didn't see all of them. Where was Yamato?

"Takeru, say something!" Holyangemon commanded.

"Look out!"

There was a mound of water rising over the horizon, rocketing towards them with speed Takeru wouldn't have believed if he wasn't watching it with mounting terror.

Holyangemon spun them around, Excalibur at the ready, as the mound of water crested and became a wave.

With only a moment to brace themselves, the wall of water careened into the beach with a cataclysmic crash.

Heavy, dark water thundered from above. Takeru couldn't see, couldn't hear past the rushing of frigid ocean water around him. Something solid hit them from the side, knocking Takeru from Holyangemon's protective embrace. He didn't know up from down and he was so cold…

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe, and for a second he was eight years old again, and this was what started the whole damn thing in the first place.

Then the water was washing back out to sea and the chosen of hope was left coughing into the sand. Shaking hands dug into the muddy ground pushing him to his hands and knees.

All around him was chaos.

Above him, the monster roared.


You guys asked me for this.