Legends of the Digidestined

Chapter 44: "The Ninja Encounter"


Eleven Months Ago

(x)

Two weeks had passed since the invasion and destruction of the Order's castle. The members of the Order of the Light, as well as Jon and Kotemon, had all regrouped in a secret location programmed in their Sky Gliders and the Mekanorimon they had used to retreat. It was a location further cloaked by magic for extra protection, which led to a lake where the Order had built another smaller base underwater, in anticipation of such invasion taking place.

It took the Order the first week to regain the data and researches they had done in their former base of operations, and once they had it set up and running, the search for the rogue Digidestined began, the same method used to detect the arrival of the Digidestined on Server not too long before. They saw that the three corrupted Digidestined had all went off to different routes, making it more difficult to go after them. Max and his digimon partner were still out of their scanning range, which could only mean that they were not in the Digital World at all. Then, there was the issue of the Vanguard of Light being captured by Mephistomon and the dark beast taking over Skydancer Mountain.

And finally there was the issue of the power of digivolution being taken from Jon and Kotemon, rendering them powerless and vulnerable in the wake of so many events.

"This really stinks," Jon muttered, and threw a stone over the lake's surface. He watched the stone hit the surface and submerged below it, creating a ripple effect on an otherwise calm lake. Beside him was Kotemon, sitting silently and also somewhat miserable of the prospect of not being able to protect Jon.

"I'm sorry, Jon," Kotemon said slowly.

The apology startled the blonde. "For what?"

"Not being able to digivolve. Not being able to protect you. Not being able to help you look for the other Digidestined," Kotemon rattled on.

"It's not your fault," Jon said sternly. "If we have to blame someone, it's Doumon's fault. He's been after our digivolution powers from the first day we met him. First he took our ability to DNA-digivolve and now he's ripped away our ability to digivolve at all."

"If only I can digivolve naturally to Dinohumon…"

"It won't make any difference. Doumon, not to mention Mephistomon, are far too powerful for Dinohumon to handle alone."

"What can we do, then?" Kotemon asked earnestly.

Jon sighed. "I don't know…"

They were startled upon hearing something like a wood-stick snapped in half. Jon turned and saw Gennai along with Falcomon approaching them.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Gennai said.

"It's no problem."

"Is it a private party, or can we join you?"

Jon shrugged. "Basically it's your place."

"It's yours as well," Gennai replied as he took a seat beside Jon.

Jon noted how troubled Gennai looked and hazarded a guess on what was on the brown-haired teen's mind. "You want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Lobomon?"

Gennai stared at the calm lake surface and sighed. "It's not about Lobomon… I've made peace with that. He died a hero. And he would be reconfigured into a digiegg in the nearby Primary Village, so I'm positive I'll be able to see him again."

"They have a Primary Village around here?" Jon asked.

"Sure. It's not just on the islands you have been. There was one not too far from the Koromon Village which unfortunately is just about ten miles from that dreadful Macabre Glades, lair of those mangy mutts of the Wolfsbane Clan," Gennai said with unhidden disgust, and cast a meaningful look towards Jon.

"You want to look for Lobomon's digiegg…" Jon stated.

"At least it gives us something to do while the Order sort things out," Gennai reasoned. "We have Garmmon to protect us, and he too wants to see if Lobomon has been reconfigured."

Jon thought about it. Part of him wanted to help Gennai, but the more reasonable side of him thought otherwise. But Gennai was obviously still grieving for the loss of his partner, it wouldn't be right to deny him the hope to be reunited with Lobomon.

"Does your father know about this?"

Gennai made a face. "He would say no if he knows. And besides, I'm not a kid anymore."

"You're not, but that doesn't change the fact that it's still very dangerous," Jon reasoned. "We don't have backups if we are attacked by Mephistomon or Doumon, or any of those werewolves. Not even Garmmon can stand a chance against the bad guys."

Gennai sighed. "We aren't much of a help sticking around here as well."

"Well, unless you know of a way to go around undetected, probably its best if we just stay put," Jon said.

Gennai thought about it for a moment. "There might be a digimon who can help us."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"The one who cloaked this entire place in a magical barrier, rendering us invisible to the world outside," Gennai replied. "If he can cloak a place this huge, probably he can do so for us."

"Who is he?" Jon asked, his interest piqued.

"I haven't met him personally, but I've heard from my dad that he is an Ultimate-level digimon."

"An Ultimate digimon? Wow, he must be really powerful."

"Yeah, and he lives within this cloaked space, and helped out maintaining the underwater base. I think he is still rather new in his form, but to have reached Ultimate-level independently speaks a lot about his prowess." Gennai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, this digimon has been around for a very long time… he might also know of a way to get around with your digivolution issues. Or lack of it," he amended.

Jon began to feel his spirit lifting. "We should go see him."

At this, Gennai smirked. "I know I'd get your interest in this."

Gennai led Jon, Falcomon and Kotemon away from the lake and into the woods. It took them the better part of the day to search for this Ultimate digimon, before they reached at the end of the woods. Outside the lush jungle, they saw a desert.

"This is where the barrier ends," Gennai said. "Dad told me to never venture outside there."

"So this digimon lives outside?" Jon wondered. This was his first time being this close at the end of the barrier.

"No, he's inside here. We're at the wrong end of the jungle. Let's take this way."

The digimon groaned inwardly, beginning to show their exhaustion after prolonged walking.

"Hung…gry…." Falcomon muttered. And everyone stopped short in surprise. Gennai who was leading the group stopped, and Jon bumped into him, and Kotemon tripped onto Jon's foot.

Everyone stared at Falcomon, who blinked sheepishly towards all of them.

"You…you talked!" Gennai exclaimed.

"Every…one talks," Falcomon said, matter-of-factly. There was a childlike innocence in the bird's voice.

"Yeah, well…" Gennai was at loss of words.

"Can't argue with that," Jon nodded.

"Foods around?" Falcomon inquired hopefully.

"What do you eat?" Kotemon asked with interest. "Worms?"

Falcomon looked disgusted. "Fruits, ok. Rice, ok. No worms."

The journey took them at a tall stone hill with multiple flights of stairs. They could see a large circular fortress at the top of the hill. At the sight of this, Falcomon sighed despairingly. Kotemon however looked up with resolve.

"Up there is this Ultimate-level digimon who might have the answer to our problem?" Kotemon asked his human partner.

"I hope so." Jon glanced towards Gennai. "Lead the way."

"Hope…they have…foods," Falcomon said slowly.

The quartet began to climb the stone stairs. They were already exhausted enough trying to locate this mysterious digimon on foot. However, their desire to find ways to help Jon and Kotemon, as well as a way for them to look for Lobomon's digiegg undetected by the enemies, pushed their will enough for them to make it to the top, and to the fortress's entrance.

They stared up at the tall door, contemplating on what to do next.

"I guess we knock." Gennai stepped up towards the door, and gave it two firm knocks.

"Who's out there?" A high-pitched voice demanded from the inside. It was hard to discern whether it was male or female, as it sounded child-like, almost like a Rookie digimon. "Speak up! I want answers!"

"I'm Gennai, from the Order of the Light, and this is my friend, Jon, of the Digidestined, with our digimon friend and partner, Falcomon, former avian transport serving the Vanguard of Light, and Kotemon, partner to the Digidestined."

There was a lull of silence, as if the master of the fortress was contemplating Gennai's introduction. "What business do you have coming here?"

"We understood that you are the one who fortified the magical barrier for the Order's new secret base, making it invisible to the digimon outside the protected region?"

"That is correct." The short reply sounded haughty.

"Uh… we were hoping to know how you were able to do it," Gennai said.

"And why would I share my secret with you?" the digimon, still unidentified, asked.

"Because we need to get out of this protected space… and we need to avoid being detected by our enemies."

"That's not my problem," said the digimon behind the door. "My deal with the Order was that I cloaked this part of the continent with my magic and in return they built this fortress for me to stay, minding my own business."

Gennai and Jon shared exasperated looks with one another. Gennai gritted his teeth to suppress his anger, took a deep breath, and tried again reasoning with the digimon.

"So you won't help us?"

"No."

"You'll only help us if we give something in return?"

"You have nothing that I need. Go away please, and leave me in peace."

Jon sighed in disappointment and began to turn, but Gennai stomped his foot loudly and banged against the thick door with his fist.

"Look," he said with a shaking voice. "I just had my dear friend deleted in front of my own eyes, deleted by Mephistomon's forces. I've just had my home destroyed, and my other base seized by Mephistomon. I have nothing to offer to you to help me, but I thought as an Ultimate digimon you'll be able to help us."

"Save me the sob story," the digimon behind the door snapped. "So your digimon friend got deleted. Boo-hoo, poor you. Newsflash, kid - digimon gets deleted all the time. That's the way of this cruel Digital World. Only the strongest survives to reach their pinnacle of power. You think I have not seen digimon deleted in front of my eyes? You think I have not had my homes destroyed by digimon more powerful than myself?"

Gennai and Jon took in the digimon's words with gulps. They looked at each other, both at loss on how to respond.

"Please," Gennai pleaded. "This is not just for me. It's for the Digidestined too."

"Destined beings from other lands who are supposed to come here to drive out the Legion of Darkness, yeah, yeah, I've heard of them," the digimon said. "Where were they when my home was destroyed? Where were they when my village was destroyed by the Wolfsbane Clan? Where were they when my fellow brothers and sisters were eaten by that ferocious X-WereGarurumon?"

"X-WereGarurumon has been deleted by one of the Digidestined's partner," Gennai said, leaving out the details of the deletion.

"And that is supposed to make me feel better?" the fortress's master challenged. "It doesn't give me back my siblings. It doesn't give me back my home. No. For decades, I've had to witness my siblings, my friends, taken by the Legion of Darkness. They were killed, or eaten, or enslaved to serve their purposes until they were broken, long-gone for me to hope they would return to the side of good. For one hundred years, the Legion has enslaved us, and only then these… Digidestined…" the master said it mockingly, "…saw fit to come to help us?"

"We didn't know," Jon said softly, slowly gaining an understanding of the fortress master's attitude. "We would have come earlier if we could."

"No matter," the fortress's master said, the manner of speaking reverted back to the uncaring tone it had before. "What's done was done. So do me a favor, and go away."

Gennai slammed a fist on the door again before turning back, shivering. "I don't believe it," he hissed. "For a digimon as great and powerful as it was purported to be this guy won't even consider helping us."

"No, that's not it," Jon replied, keeping his voice low and placed his hands on Gennai's shoulders to keep the other boy from walking. "Whoever the master of this place is, he or she is heartbroken."

Gennai frowned. "You're on this jerk's side?"

Jon shook his head. "What I'm trying to say is that, he sort of reminds me of…well, me. I've lost my mother when I was six, and all I wanted was to push away everyone. But then I got to know of Kira and Darien, and their parents, and I opened up to them when they persistently show that they cared for me." Jon gave Gennai a wink and a gesture which signaled Gennai to follow his lead.

"Come on, guys," Jon said loudly. "Isn't it obvious? The master of this place isn't going to help us, not because he won't, but because he actually can't. He just won't admit it to save his face, and instead pushed us away. I bet he's actually just a poser, not even an Ultimate-digimon. Just hear at how he speaks. I think our In-training digimon speaks the way he speaks, judging from how bratty he sounds like."

There was nothing but silence. Kotemon and Falcomon blinked and looked up at Jon in confusion, while Gennai raised his hands and made an expression which silently said, Now what?

"Oh…. I think we don't even want to step a foot in this fortress. Look at how huge this place is, and how the master keeps pushing away others who come here. I bet the place is so crummy and filthy, and this master is so lazy in keeping his place presentable that he is embarrassed to allow any guest to come in. Why, I wouldn't be surprised…"

Jon was cut-off when the door suddenly swung open.

You did it, Gennai mouthed towards Jon, and Jon winked back. The two boys ushered their digimon in while walking inside the fortress with caution. They didn't see anybody behind the opened doors and quickly be on their guard.

"Pit Bomb!"

"Look out!" Kotemon tackled Jon and Falcomon clumsily shoved Gennai off the flooring, pushing the boys out of an incoming attack. Kotemon quickly charged up his wooden stick sword and tried to deflect a zooming pellet, but it was too strong and knocked the Rookie digimon off his foot.

The two boys quickly rolled over and got up, before something small, blurry and pink zipped past them and they had their behinds struck, throwing them down the floor face-forward. They then heard a chirping laughter, and turned around quickly to see a very diminutive figure hovering in the air.

It was an odd sight to behold; their assailant was basically a pink puffball with glimmering black eyes, and its hands and feet grew out from the puffball which was its head. Semi-transparent insectoid wings flitted behind it, keeping it afloat. It was holding a metal stick on its right hand. The digimon looked to be merely a third of Kotemon's size.

"Who in the world are you?" Gennai said in annoyance.

The pink puffball flitted towards Gennai in a blink of the eye and smacked Gennai on the head and on the back with its staff. "That is a bit informal, don't you think?" the digimon said, unflinching at Gennai's glare as the boy rubbed the place where he was hit. "Show some respect! I'm the master of this place, and that is what you'll call me - Master."

Gennai growled but Jon quickly placed a firm hold on his shoulder. "Don't," he warned with a whisper. "I'll take it from here." Turning towards the pink puffball, Jon bowed slightly. "Master."

"I have no need for sweet-talkers!" The pink puffball zipped towards Jon and attempted to smack him with his staff, but Kotemon leaped up and with a swing of his sword, blocked the puffball's attempt. However, the impact of the collision of the two weapons threw Kotemon onto the nearest wall, while the pink puffball remained hovering where it was.

"Feisty little one, aren't you?" the pink puffball said.

Kotemon rose from the floor, rubbing his back. "It's my duty to protect my partner! Especially from a bad digimon like you!"

"Bad digimon?" the puffball replied incredulously. "I'm not the bad guy here. You came here uninvited, so forgive me if I'm not in a welcoming mood."

"You didn't even let us explain why we are here!" Gennai said hotly, but quickly shut his mouth when the puffball glared at him.

"I don't care," the puffball said with a low voice, staff raised, "You're trespassing. And do you know what I do to trespassers?" His staff glowed with pink light.

Gennai pulled out his Photon Rapier and generated the laser blade, taking a fighting stance in front of Jon. "Don't even think about it."

Kotemon ran to stand beside Gennai and held up his bamboo sword as well. Flames danced around the weapon. "I might not be able to digivolve, but I still can put up a fight against you."

The puffball snorted. "You both aren't even my match. I…"

"Piximon, please…"

The soft, familiar female voice echoed the entire building, and the puffball immediately froze, as if jolted by the voice. It whirled around, its entire head/body looked up and down in confusion, trying to identify the source of the voice.

The air rippled, and a semi-translucent image of the Vanguard of Light's head appeared. She appeared very exhausted. Her headdress was glowing with soft, pink hue.

"Lady Angella!" the puffball, Piximon, immediately formed a bow.

"Help them, Piximon," the Vanguard of Light beckoned. "Help them."

Piximon nodded fervently. "Milady, I'll do as you say, but…"

"Piximon, please. Ask no questions. Until I am saved from Mephistomon's clutch, there is little resistance against the forces of evil, with the Digidestined team lost their way, except for young Jonathan who is standing before you beside my… beside my disciple. Help them, quickly!"

Before anybody could ask any question, they saw the Vanguard of Light screaming, writhing in pain, and the projection immediately vanished.

"The Vanguard…!" Gennai said helplessly. He gritted his teeth, his whole body shivered in anger.

Silence ruled the space they shared, with them waiting anxiously for Piximon's response. It seemed that Piximon had great respect for the Vanguard of Light, for when the digimon finally addressed them, its demeanor had completely changed.

"Forgive my manners from earlier," Piximon said. "You can't be too careful around here. If Lady Angella herself had projected herself all the way through my magical enchantment around this area, despite being imprisoned by that vile beast Mephistomon, just to vouch for you, then who am I to say otherwise?"

Jon and Gennai shared a look and grinned. Gennai nodded and gestured with a slight tilt of his head for Jon to address their matter.

"Master Piximon, sir," Jon began, and braced himself if Piximon would act harshly. When the puffball didn't, and only merely looking at him with anticipation, Jon continued, "We have come for help in regards to my predicament…"

Jon told the master of the fortress regarding how he had lost his power to digivolve, and how he would like to look for a way to restore his power. He also addressed the issue of Gennai wanting to search for Lobomon's digiegg at the nearest Primary Village.

"And finally, we would also like to find a way to save Lady Angella," Jon concluded, "And find the rest of the Digidestined."

Piximon listened to the blonde Digidestined without interrupting. "Those are very difficult tasks you have there, children. Even if I were to help you, I am not powerful enough to stand up against Mephistomon, who as you say, has a way to digivolve into Mega-level. Despite my form, I am only an Ultimate digimon, and quite a new one at that. But, I can provide the magical enchantment you need to protect you to where, or more correctly, to who I think you can find some answers to your situation."

"To whom?" Gennai asked.

"I know of him only by his title, not by identity," Piximon admitted. "He is called the Oracle."


Present Day

(x)

Max felt himself stirring back into consciousness. As he opened his eyes, everything was still a blur and he waited for his vision began to come into focus. He could see patches of green, and faint specks of lights. The air around him was cool, and so was the surface – he felt as if he was laying on a grassy ground. As his vision cleared, he saw that the patches of green he saw was the high canopies of trees, with lights from the sky passing through several opening. He didn't remember how he had gotten there; the last bit of memory he had was a cyclone of leaves, and two unfamiliar digimon helped him escaped from Doumon.

He was now in a jungle.

He heard soft dozing murmurs and saw Koromon on his chest, eyes closed, but his mouth seemed to say something incomprehensible. Max slowly got up into a sitting position while carefully positioning Koromon down on his lap. That didn't even wake the In-training digimon.

"Where am I?" Max wondered and looked around the jungle. "Where are they?"

He was trying to look for his saviors; the mysterious warrior in white garments with shurikens as his hands and feet, and the talking ostrich whom he had rode on as they travelled through the cyclone of leaves. They were nowhere in sight.

"Don't tell me they've rescued us from Doumon only to leave us on our own in this weird jungle," Max muttered. He tried to discern of the current time, and decided that it couldn't be too long since their encounter with Doumon. He was reminded of the fact that Doumon now had MagnaAngemon, Bishopchessmon and Rookchessmon trapped in key-chains forms, reducing their number back to one – himself and his partner were considered as one.

The redhead sighed. "There's no point staying around here much longer. Maybe I should get a look around and see if I can find out where I am."

Max rose from the grassy ground, holding the still-sleeping Koromon now securely with one arm pressed against his chest. That stirred the In-training, and his large russet eyes blinked.

"Where are we?"

"Glad to see you're awake," the leader of the Digidestined said dryly.

A growling sound was heard from the digimon, and Max sweatdropped. "I'm hungry!" Koromon informed. "More like, famished."

"I've guessed that when I saw you woke up. C'mon, maybe we can find something for you to eat."

"Yay!"

Max was about to take a step, when from behind them a sound of a broken stick broke through the otherwise-silent jungle. He spun, and saw a humanoid digimon twice his height, with a large sword brandished. This digimon wore red shogun armor on top of furry purple vest and baggy green trousers. The skin exposed by the opening of the shogun-armor was deathly pale, and this digimon's eyes were glowing crimson.

"This is a digimon cursed with the Curse of the Crimson Eyes," Max realized, remembering the features of the cursed digimon.

Without introducing itself, this digimon advanced immediately towards Max and Koromon. The Digidestined immediately pranced away, trying to escape the attacker, but the digimon was faster. With a swipe of its formidable sword the shogun digimon sliced a tree coming its way cleanly before shoving the fallen tree aside with a powerful kick.

Max's foot caught onto a large root and caused him to tumble down. The shogun leaped at him, sword ready for the kill. Max felt his heart nearly stopped beating as he realized that there was no way for him to escape the assailant.

"Kunai Wings!"

"Kusanagi!"

The shouts halted the advancing digimon, for it was then overwhelmed first by flurries of feathered blades before a giant metallic star slammed against its sword, pushing it back onto the ground. The force from the collision forced the shogun to release its sword, and both weapons fell onto the ground.

Two familiar figures landed at each side of Max and Koromon, immediately on battle stances. They were the ones who rescued Max and Koromon from Doumon. The ostrich spread its wings and flew towards the canopies, while the hooded warrior in white garb hunched before its lower limbs sprang itself up and forward. The warrior flicked its right arm and the giant star he had used to attack earlier returned to its back.

"Double Stars!" the hooded warrior summoned, and the curved stars which acted as its hands spun like circular saws as they sprang towards the shogun digimon.

The shogun leaped back up and summoned dark energy, releasing it to block the incoming attack from the hooded warrior. Both digimon pushed through the attack, but with a loud guttural roar the shogun was able to overpower the hooded warrior's attacks, which were deflected – one was buried onto the ground while the other sailed upward and nearly hit the ostrich.

"Whoa, Shurimon! Your star nearly slaughtered me!" the ostrich reprimanded.

"Sorry, Peckmon!" the hooded warrior known as Shurimon called out as he retracted both shurikens back. "This Musyamon is too strong!"

Peckmon clucked, and plummeted towards Musyamon in a form of a drilling cyclone. "Spiral Claw!"

Again, Musyamon summoned dark mater about him which burned with crimson energy, and blasted it towards the incoming Peckmon. Peckmon screamed as the dark energy enveloped him, slamming him against a tree.

Shurimon leaped towards Musyamon and again threw the gigantic shuriken he wore on his back, but Musyamon roared, ducked the attack before leaping towards Shurimon. Shurimon sprang towards one of the lower tree branches and launched his Double Stars again, aiming for Musyamon's unprotected back. One star slammed against the back of Musyamon's head while the other buried onto its back.

Musyamon screamed before it exploded into data particles.

"That takes care of him," Shurimon said, and jumped towards where Peckmon was slowly regaining his stance. "And we don't even have to do it to win this time."

Peckmon clucked in annoyance. "That rotten digimon….strong for a mere Champion."

"He was cursed," Shurimon said. "No doubt, a servant of Mephistomon sent to look for…them." The hooded warrior's yellow eyes landed on Max and Koromon.

The ostrich followed his comrade's gaze. "Hey, you two!"

Max waved back. "Hey. You saved us, again. Thank you."

"No problem," the bird digimon assured. "You got my name already?"

Max walked towards them. He had clearly heard them addressing each other, and somehow the bird's name sounded quite familiar. "It's Peckmon, right?" He then glanced towards the hooded warrior and nodded towards him. "And you're Shurimon."

Shurimon bowed slightly, and Peckmon clucked his agreement. Max still thought Peckmon sounded quite familiar, and he searched his memory to think of the time he was acquainted with that name. It didn't take long before the name clicked. "Oh! You're that Peckmon!"

"Which one?" Peckmon tilted his head in confusion.

"MagnaAngemon mentioned he had gotten a message regarding the situation here from a Peckmon," Max clarified. "You're him, right?"

At that, Peckmon nodded. "Ah, yup, yup! Didn't see MagnaAngemon though, I passed message only to his forest's guard. Forgot the name of the guard."

"He was with me, but Doumon… he changed MagnaAngemon, and Bishopchessmon and Rookchessmon into keychains," Max said.

"Dark magic stuff," Peckmon said with a low tone. "Couldn't save them today. We had to get you, before foxy turned you into toys as well. Don't worry. We plan a way to save them, right, Shurimon?"

"Peckmon's right," the hooded digimon said carefully as he walked towards Max. Something about the shrouded face and the yellow eyes behind the hood and the veil was familiar, but Max was sure he had never seen this strange digimon before. The star-blades, or shuriken, on the digimon's back, hands and feet made it all the more imposing and mystifying.

"I gathered as much," Max replied, smiling cautiously towards their saviors.

"It was what we were sent to do, and it was our pleasure as well," Shurimon said. "It was lucky that we'd arrived just before Doumon could turn you and Aeroveedramon into key-chains as well. And again from that cursed Musyamon."

Max thought there was an odd way in how the digimon walked, but he supposed since Shurimon had shurikens as feet that could be the reason. He watched Shurimon peering towards the unconscious Koromon, then at Max; it was hard to discern what the shrouded warrior was thinking, since there was no way for Max to see his expression. But what the warrior said next caught him by surprise.

"Real digivolution into Ultimate-level must have wiped out ToyAgumon's energy, didn't it, Max?" Shurimon inquired, his tone suddenly became considerably lighter, warmer, and familiar.

"Huh?" Max blinked. The way Shurimon said his and ToyAgumon's names, suggested that to this Shurimon, they were no strangers. Max began to peer closer to the shrouded warrior who was now standing just a couple of arms-length from him. "Do we know each other?"

Shurimon chuckled. "I… wait. Someone's coming!" The warrior glanced towards a direction, away from the lake, towards a distance where trees were lined pretty close to each other, and on the parts where there were no trees, tall vegetations and fallen wood logs or roots sprawled over the grounds.

"Please, please, not another attack," Peckmon said.

Max could feel the earth rumbling softly. The sounds of something heavy making contact with the grounds became clearer with every heartbeat; it was as if somebody was running towards them. Max could make out glimpses of something white appearing from between the thick trees, still shadowed by the canopies. Then he saw something, or rather, someone, familiar – an armored quadruped wolf.

Shurimon and Peckmon immediately relaxed upon the sight of the wolf.

"Garmmon?" Max wondered out loud, as the wolf's profile became more obvious.

He squinted and saw two people were mounted on top of Garmmon's back. A brown-haired teenage boy in beige robes, and there was someone else he couldn't identify behind the teen's back. Max thought he caught glimpse of blonde hair behind the teen on the forefront. His heart raced; there was only one Digidestined who had that kind of blonde hair.

"Can it be?" he dared not hope too soon, remembering what MagnaAngemon had said about the rest of the Digidestined.

Garmmon made a leap from behind a particularly thick, moss-covered, a-foot-high root of a tree and landed on all fours just by Peckmon, who didn't seem perturbed at all at the wolf's arrival. Max immediately recognized the brown-haired teen, although there was something slightly different on the teen's expression, who was smiling at him before glancing towards Peckmon.

"Gennai!" Max realized, and the brown-haired teen waved back with a smile.

The one behind Gennai leaped down Garmmon, and Max gasped in a pleasant surprise, as a very familiar blonde-haired boy came running towards him. He felt as if the winds were knocked out of his body as the boy leaped towards him, enveloping him in a fierce hug.

"Jon!" Max gasped. "You're squeezing me!" He was surprised at the younger boy's strength.

"Max!" Jon withdrew back, his blue eyes tearing up. He wasn't wearing his glasses. "You came back! We thought we wouldn't be able to see you again. Tao said you and your partner went through a portal to chase after Matadormon and there wouldn't be a way for you to get back here."

"I've only been away for a day!" Max protested, but suddenly remembered that a year had passed in the Digital World while he was away. He then noticed how much a year could change a person; Jon's transformation in that one year was a reminder that a long time had indeed passed since he had last seen the blonde. Jon's hair was now longer, reaching his shoulders, and was parted in the middle. He seemed taller too, leaner, filling up slightly over the chest and arms, and to Max's amusement, Jon was also dressed in a robe similar to Gennai's.

"No, you've been away for a year!" Jon countered, and studied Max closely. "Where did you go? You still look the same, as if you didn't even age this past one year."

"Believe it or not…"

Max told Jon and Gennai regarding him and ToyAgumon ended up back on Earth, his encounters with the men who had helped him face his inner demons, and how he was able to unlock the true power of the Crest of Courage, and Aeroveedramon's first appearance prior to their return back to the Digital World.

Jon's mouth formed an 'O' in surprise. There was a few minutes lapse after Max was finished with his story, before the younger teen asked, "You mean . . . despite having ended up back home, you still chose to come back for us?"

"Of course I'd come back for you. You guys are my friends!"

Jon looked down, and Max thought the younger boy was blushing. He then glanced towards Gennai with a triumphant expression on his face. "You see, Gennai? He didn't abandon us."

Gennai raised both hands up in a gesture of no argument. "I can see that." He then turned to Max and gave him a sheepish smile. "It's a long story, but I didn't really mean that you have abandoned the rest of the Digidestined."

Max frowned, but decided to let it pass. A year had gone by in the Digital World; he couldn't blame any one of them for having such thoughts. "I guess I'll ask for that story later, when we are not in danger. But Jon, you've changed so much! What happened to you?"

"I'm twelve now," Jon said, "and it seems that I've hit a growth spurt."

Max studied Jon's expression. "You must have gone through a rough time as well."

"That's putting it mildly…" Jon and Gennai shared a glance together. Max noted that Gennai also seemed to have slightly aged to reflect the one year they were separated, but otherwise did not change as radically as Jon.

Max was reminded of what MagnaAngemon had told him about the other Digidestined, and became slightly wary. "But I thought all of you became evil, due to the Dark Crests?"

"Except for Jon, and you, the others have succumbed to the influence of the Dark Crests," Gennai clarified. "I guess the Legion didn't waste time to spread the story about all Digidestined turned evil to bring down the spirits of the digimon."

Max was relieved. "How did the others turn evil and you didn't?"

Gennai grinned and patted Jon's back warmly. "Jon had to be really stupid in order to unlock the dark version of the Crest of Knowledge, which didn't happen, and he actually unlocked the true Crest of Knowledge. He was going to digivolve Dinohumon into Ultimate-level if it weren't for Doumon stealing the ability to digivolve from Jon's digivice."

"Doumon stole your powers?"

Jon nodded. "The same way he stole our ability to DNA-digivolve, and the ability Lady Angella granted Kira and Renamon to become Taomon."

"If that's so….who are they?" Max gestured towards Peckmon and Shurimon.

"You know them," Gennai said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Or rather, their previous forms. Peckmon was previously Yatagaramon… or Falcomon… he digivolved naturally to Champion level."

"I thought Yatagaramon was a she?"

At this, Gennai grinned in amusement. "Yeah, well, it was kind of hard to recognize the actual gender when all he could do back then was squawk. One of the side-effects of the premature digivolution he received when he was a Fresh digimon, the power-up propelled him into Ultimate-level too quickly; he hadn't even learned how to speak yet. Now he's progressing at a much more natural phase, and it's easier to teach him to speak."

"Still a lot more room for improvement," Jon added.

Peckmon blew raspberries towards the two boys, glowering at them. "Meanie!"

"So that means…" Max gestured towards Shurimon, just as Jon took out his digivice from inside his robes. The digivice softly with green light, and Shurimon glimmered with the same green hue before regressing to a smaller, familiar form.

"Hi, Max!" the rookie digimon greeted.

"Kotemon! But I thought you said…"

"Doumon stole my ability to digivolve Kotemon into Dinohumon and his Ultimate form… which we haven't discovered who," Jon said grimly. "That left both of us vulnerable for a short while. Luckily we were able to find an alternative way of digivolution…"

To be continued…


A/N: Two of the Digidestined are now reunited, and it will be awhile before Max and Jon will be reunited with the corrupted Digidestined. Here we discovered Jon has gained another form of digivolution for Kotemon, and in the next chapter we will see how exactly he gains it.

This reunion chapter is sort of reminisce of how Taiki is reunited with Nene and Kiriha in Xros Wars, while the chapter's title is from Power Rangers way back during the Mighty Morphin era, since here we have three ninja-themed digimon featured: Shurimon, Peckmon, and Musyamon.