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Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thanks for the reviews, Odd. No worries, mate. Just glad you still like the story.

Ackbarfan5556: Yeah, guess who XD

Music Chick: Absolutely it was. Glad that I am still blowing you away after all this time.

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Special shout out to audetjac000 for the favorite and follow. Thanks a lot.


Hey, guys. COVID-19 may still be wrecking our world, but it is not stopping me from trucking on. A little depressed that Kizuna got postponed; I would have driven through the worst storm imaginable and crawled over broken glass to see that movie. But alas, there is nothing I can do about it. We will see it soon, so I'm using that to get me through this time. I don't know what I would do right now if I didn't have writing and all of you guys supporting me.

In the meantime, Ken has been permitted to join the team on a trial period to see whether or not he's worthy of being accepted as a full member. What will happen next? Find out, but for now, it is time to give two specific characters their official inauspicious debut into the story.


An overpowering sense of trepidation filled the two figures as they stepped down the hall, unsure of what to expect when they reached the door. Their master had called for them, and he did not sound very happy. They had lived with him long enough to know that when their master was not happy, it was not good news for them.

One was taller with a large hat on her head and sunglasses over her eyes. Long, silver hair spilled from under the hat like a waterfall, blending with her pale skin. She must have had a thing for red because she was covered in it. Even her elbow-length gloves were red. A spider brooch rested just above the brim of her hat. Her face was neutral and unwavering, but her lip curled with nervous tension.

The other was almost equally as tall, but the hat on his head added a few extra inches. A long blue coat wrapped around his body and gloves covered his hands. No one could make out what he looked like save for one golden eye peeking out from beneath his hat and behind his coat.

"We're in trouble. I just know it," the blue figure whimpered in a soft voice.

"Be quiet, Mummymon," the red clad woman snapped. "I have no time for your blubbering. Master has a plan in mind." She grumbled. "I just wish he would let us destroy them already. Now that young Ichijouji has joined them, those pests will be on our trail when he tells them everything."

"You assume too much, Arukenimon," the figure now known as Mummymon replied. "Do you think Master suspects they will come for us?"

"I don't know," Arukenimon's eyes flashed darkly. "For now, those meddling kids are no threat to us."

"Have you ever encountered a Destined Jedi before, Arukenimon?" Mummymon shot back.

The woman bit her lip, her words caught in her throat. "Well, no. But –"

"They're dangerous. I've watched them from afar this whole time. Don't underestimate them."

"You assume too much."

The two of them reached the door and walked inside. The room was pitch black, but then the small lights of candles on the far side of the room caught their attention. A man sat in a meditative position in front of them. His dark hood sat on top of his head, obscuring the rest of his face.

"Master, you called?" Arukenimon said.

The man lifted his head up, revealing a bit of his pale grey face behind the waterfall of black hair. His tongue flickered out from his mouth like a snake for a brief second.

"The Force grows every day within the Digital World," the man hissed, staring at the wall in front of him. "It seems that the effects from Ken's takeover have been diminished."

Arukenimon frowned. "I told you we should have killed him when we had the chance, Master."

"Silence, Arukenimon!" Their master growled. "The plan has shifted. We're going to have to go big or go home. I have a different job for you two now."

"What is this job, Master?" Mummymon asked.

The man took a breath and stood up from his seated position, turning towards the two figures. The candlelight now coming from the back made him look even more dark and mysterious.

"I want you to cause enough trouble in the Digital World that the Destined Jedi have to come back," he said. "Once they arrive, I want you to bring Ken and the Jedi that defeated him back to me alive and unspoiled. Kill the others if you wish."

Arukenimon and Mummymon smirked deviously. Their time had finally arrived to get some action. They were growing tired of hiding in the shadows for so long.

"At last," Arukenimon slid her tongue across her teeth, feeling the thrill of the hunt at hand. "We shall finally reveal ourselves to the Jedi."

"They won't know what hit them, Master," Mummymon echoed. "Their pestilence will be eradicated forever when we are through. We will have our revenge on those who have opposed us."

Their master smiled deviously behind his drapes of black hair and the darkness of his hood.

"You have learned well, my friends," he hissed proudly. "They will be no match for you."


"Somebody, kill me!"

Tai Kamiya buried his face in his hands as he moaned in exhaustion. His pants and underwear were pooled down around his ankles as he sat on the toilet. He had been sitting there for almost twenty minutes. Some of his depositswere in the vault already, but there was still more waiting to be cashed in.

"Alright, come on," he grunted and tightened up. He pushed so hard that he felt like a blood vessel was going to burst in his temple. Nature started to resume its course and soon everything that was backed up forced itself out.

Tai sighed in relief once he finished, feeling like he just reached nirvana. He reached for the toilet paper on the side and wiped his butt free of anything that remained. The toilet flushed noisily as he pulled his shorts back up and went to the sink to wash his hands.

About ten seconds into his hand washing, Tai noticed something in his hair. He turned the faucet off and took a closer look. He eyed every single aspect of his hair, having just gotten it trimmed a little while ago.

Then he saw it.

"Aw man," he groaned, then looked back behind him to shout, "Moooom!"

Mrs. Kamiya danced around the kitchen to the sound of Wham!'s "Credit Card Baby" playing on the stereo nearby. She was busy baking a cake. No particular reason. There was no special occasion; Kari's birthday was not until March, Tai's was back in May; her husband's in July; and hers was not until November. She just felt like making one today. The music was low enough, however, that she could still hear her son.

"Yes, honey?" she responded as she mixed the batter together, slightly worried by the tone of his voice.

"I think the lady messed up my hair," Tai whined.

"Oh no! Really? I thought it looked fine."

"One side is shorter than the other!"

Mrs. Kamiya replied with a sharp sigh. Tai had a nasty habit of being a complete drama queen about this. He was like a teenage girl when it came to worrying about his hair.

"Tai, you'll have to come to me so I can see," she said. "I'm busy making a cake."

The teenager opened the door to the bathroom with a mopey expression on his face and trudged over to his mother.

"Alright, where is this uneven end?" she asked, putting down the mixing bowl and spoon.

Tai pointed to a spot just above his forehead. Mrs. Kamiya took a closer look and inspected it carefully. After a few seconds, she frowned and went back to baking.

"Tai, I don't see what you're seeing," she said. "It looks fine to me. Didn't you tell the lady after she finished? Why did you leave without speaking up?"

"I didn't see it then!" Tai whined. "Mom, I can't go outside like this. If a friend sees me, they'll make fun of me."

His mother shrugged. "Wear a hat then."

The Jedi of Courage gave his mother an annoyed glare. One eyebrow was raised higher than the other.

"A hat?" he repeated incredulously. "And mess these gorgeous locks up more than they already have been?"

Mrs. Kamiya was at the end of her rope. Her voice started to show the irritation as she groaned before saying, "I don't know what else you want me to say, sweetie. Either go back right now wearing a hat to get it fixed, or just deal with it!"

"I hate you!" Tai groaned as he zombie-walked to the couch and fell face first into a pillow, wallowing in agony. This was perhaps the worst day of his life. If Sora saw him like this, she would tease him about it forever. At least Kari was not around to see him. She was with Yolei for a girls' day out.

Knock, knock!

Mrs. Kamiya looked back towards the door. She would get it herself, but her hands were dirty with flour, cake mix, and egg whites.

"Tai, can you get the door please?" she asked. "My hands are dirty."

Tai moaned again, but got up and went to answer the door.

Izzy stood at the entryway panting with his hands on his knees and sweat pouring down his face. Tai blinked.

"Izzy?" he greeted in a lost tone. "What happened?"

The computer genius took a few moments to gather his breath, but still heaved for air as he spoke. "It's–Gasp–the–Gasp–haircut."

Tai squeaked slightly in internal panic as he touched his hair in fear.

"It–Gasp–was–Gasp–a–Gasp–bad–Gasp–joke."

Tai's face paled considerably. A bad joke? That could only mean…He lightly screamed, "I knew it! It is uneven!"

Izzy shot right up and looked at his friend with confusion. "What?" he asked. Then it came to him. He rolled his eyes and groaned, "No, not you!"

He moved past Tai and into the Kamiya household, taking off his shoes before he stepped on the hardwood floors. "Your stupid joke about Sora's haircut."

Mrs. Kamiya noticed their visitor as he came through the hallway past the kitchen.

"Izzy, hello," she greeted with a warm smile. "How wonderful to see you."

The Jedi of Knowledge returned the woman's greeting with a nod. "Hello, Mrs. Kamiya. Nice to see you too."

"Don't interrupt us, Mom," Tai said as they headed for his bedroom. "We've got some…business to talk about."

Mrs. Kamiya understood what he meant by 'business', and so she nodded. "Okay. I'll just be here making the cake."

"Thanks," her son replied as he and his friend entered the room. He closed the door behind them and answered Izzy's previous statement with an, "Oh."

Izzy glared at him. "That's all you have to say? Oh?"

"It was only a joke," was Tai's reply. "She knew that."

"That's not what Mimi told me," said Izzy. "She came to see me today. I swear, she comes to poke me enough to see how long it takes before I snap at her."

He stopped for a second and remembered something. "Although, every time she leaves I do find my room tidied up." A light blush spread across his face as he became lost in his thoughts.

Tai groaned and waved a hand in front of Izzy's face. The boy was off in dreamland right now.

"Hello? Come back!" he said.

Izzy came back down to earth with a blink.

"What did Mimi say?" Tai asked.

"Aren't you scared?" Izzy replied in a breathless panic. "You should be. Mimi told me about that stupid joke you made to Sora about her new haircut making her look like she had a mop on her head."

Tai couldn't help but snort. "Well, she did," she chuckled.

"This isn't funny!" the computer genius shouted. He calmed down a little before continuing. "Sora is mad. Really mad, Tai. Mimi said it was so bad that Sora doesn't want to talk to you anymore. So bad that she might want to break up with you. I panicked and ran straight here."

Tai's face paled again, his heart racing with fear. This was the one thing he feared most: Sora not speaking to him. Whenever Sora was mad at him, she refused to talk for sometimes up to a month after whatever it was she was upset with him about happened. The worst was when he threw up in her hat when they were kids. He was seven, and was not feeling too well when he was at her house one day. It was hot, and he must have ate something bad. He couldn't reach the toilet in time, so he found the closest thing to him: Her hat. She didn't speak to him for two months after that.

"What?! But it was a joke!" he shrieked. "She was annoyed, but not mad enough that she would never want to talk to me again. Let alone break up with me."

"Well, guess what? You messed up!"

"What did Sora have to say?"

Izzy dismissed the question with a scoff. "What does it matter?"

Tai went into a blind rage and grabbed Izzy by his shirt. His hands turned into fists and twisted the cotton material. His teeth were clenched and bared in fury.

"You mean to tell me that you ran over here with only half the information?" he shouted.

Izzy nodded. "Mm-hm."

"So there is a chance that Sora didn't actually say she thought about breaking up with me?" Tai then stopped. Something about that statement registered with his mind. His eyes widened in fear. "Wait, did you –"

"Did I what?" Izzy asked, worried about what Tai had to say.

Tai narrowed his eyes, anger rising within him as he started shaking Izzy. "You told Mimi that Sora and I were dating, didn't you?!" he roared.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the Jedi of Knowledge replied fearfully. "I didn't, I didn't! I swear!"

"Izzy!" Tai whined. "We trusted you!"

"I didn't break your trust! Why would I? I'm your best friend!"

The Jedi of Courage pulled the one of Knowledge closer to him until their foreheads were touching. He hissed slowly, "Then how did Mimi know to say Sora was mad enough to want to break up with me?"

"Those were my words, not hers!" Izzy hissed back. "Your secret is still safe. Honest. Be grateful that I came straight here so you can fix it, you idiot."

The two glared at each other, their eyes never leaving each other. It soon turned into a staring contest to see who could break their contemptuous glare first.

Tai was the first to back down, easing his glare just a bit. "Then next time, start off with that!" he growled as he released Izzy's shirt and pushed him back.

He walked over to his bed and sat on the bottom bunk with his face in his hands. This was stressful! After taking a few deep breaths, he looked back up to meet Izzy's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "This whole secrecy has been driving me crazy. I can't stand when Sora's mad at me, and now I have to worry about everyone finding out on top of that."

Izzy readjusted his shirt and kneeled down in front of Tai. "If it's so bad, then just tell everyone you guys are going out," he said.

Tai shook his head. "No, not right now. It's not the right time. If Sora's going to stay mad at me, it's not worth saying anyway."

"The only way that won't happen is if you tell her you're sorry," Izzy replied in a much gentler voice. "She'll probably forgive you if you do it soon."

Tai nodded absentmindedly. His body was numb with dread, wishing he could take back that stupid joke he had made.

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled. Then he nodded with much more confidence. "You're right. I should apologize. I'll do it."

A gentle smile spread over Izzy's face. "Good."

Something on Tai's head caught his attention. His eyes squinted as he took a closer look. "Tai?"

The Jedi of Courage groaned. "What now?"

"Is your hair uneven?"

Tai threw his hands up in the air and screamed. It was an ear-splitting scream that sounded like he just saw a rat. He grabbed a hat off the rack in his room and made a beeline for the front door.

"I KNEW IT!"

SLAM!


Dear Sora,

I'm sorry about what I said. I haven't felt this bad since the time I accidentally threw up in your hat and didn't tell you about it before you put it on. I know our relationship has been a little stormy lately. You say you love thundershowers, so what's a few raindrops between us?

Tai scrutinized every single word that he typed. So far, the message sounded good. But how should he end it? Well, it was a text message, so it wasn't like he needed to sign his name. It still felt like something was missing though.

It had been two days since Izzy came to his house to deliver the bad news. His hair got fixed, so his mind was now focused completely on Sora. He woke up early this morning to try and put a message together that would hopefully open her up to talking. He should be getting dressed for school right now, but this was more important. Tai didn't want Sora to be mad at him anymore.

A knock came at the door.

"Hey, Tai?" Kari said while poking her head through his bedroom door. "Have you seen my hairbrush?"

"Hmm," was Tai's only response as he continued to stare at the screen.

She frowned. "Tai, Davis is waiting for me. I really need to brush my hair."

"Hmm…"

What else could Tai say? It was tearing him up inside – Hold it. What was Kari doing?

Tai's brows furrowed. His body stiffened. The only thing that moved was his eyes as they met Kari's. "I feel you poking around my mind, Kari. New rule: Never, ever invade my thoughts."

"It's not like I want to," Kari replied, walking inside the room, "but I really need to get going and you're not answering me. Besides, how many times have I said not to use my…"

Tai tuned Kari out as he stared at the screen again. Maybe it was too personal? This was definitely too personal. A quick apology was better. As he thought how to change the message, he felt a presence behind him. Before he could process who it was, the voice said:

"Who're you writing to, Tai?"

Tai jumped with a scream, dropping the phone. "Kari! What the hell!"

Kari used the Force to grab the phone with a smirk. "Whoever it is, it seems more important than answering my quick question."

"Hey!" Tai jumped straight to his feet in panic. "Give that back!"

"Nope. Say where you put my hairbrush, then you'll get it back."

The two engaged in a stare down until Kari added with a mischievous grin, "Or, I could read your mind again, and this would all be over quickly."

"You wouldn't dare," Tai said while squinting his eyes, daring her to make the first move.

"Try me," Kari matched the same intensity.

"Give me!" he launched forward to grab his phone.

Kari anticipated his move, and used the Force to hold him back while she playfully held his phone away. "Too slow!"

"Give me it!" he struggled to break free.

"Sorry!" She laughed.

"Let go!"

"Next time!"

"Ah, who cares," Tai sighed in defeat. He sat backwards again on his desk chair, folding his arms while resting them on the backrest with his chin on top of his arms. "It's just a text message to Sora."

Kari frowned. "That's it?" Reading the message, she rolled her eyes. "This is more important?"

Tai stayed quiet while staring at the wooden floor. He didn't expect his sister to understand. It wasn't like –

"Hey!" Tai protested as he sat straight in his chair. "Stop it! Get out of my head!"

She gasped. "You left my hairbrush in your locker? Tai!"

Kari slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. "How many times have I said to leave my brush alone and get your own?"

"Mine brooooke," he whined, remaining in his same position. "I meant to bring it back."

Kari silently fumed. She ignored Tai holding out his hand for the phone and read the text message again. That mischievous grin appeared again after searching his thoughts.

"If you wanna send a text –" Tai stood to his feet in a flash. Kari held out a hand to hold him back, " – all you have to do…" she paused in mid sentience to type something extra to his text, "is press the send button."

"No!" Tai begged, struggling to get past the power of the Force. It was to no avail. "It's just a stupid hairbrush! I'll buy you another one!"

"It's the fourth time, big brother. Maybe now you'll leave mine alone. Besides," she grinned as she tossed the phone on his bed. She made a mad dash for the door, "Just tell her how you feel already. Tootles!"

'If only you knew.' Tai rushed to his phone, but could only stare at the screen in shock and horror. She ended the text with "Love, Tai."

"I wasn't gonna send that!" he shouted to his sister.

Kari poked her head back inside the room with a playful, "Then what did you write it for, big brother?"

"Oh, go to school already!" he shouted as Kari left the apartment with a smile.

Tai dropped to the floor in horror as he read the sent text message. "I can't believe Sora's gonna read my text."

He watched the clock on his nightstand, agonizing over the thought of Sora reading the text. That is, until he saw the notification that she did, but there was no response.

Five minutes. Ten. Twenty.

Nothing.

Tai laid flat on the floor as doom washed over him. He moaned. "I can't believe she's not gonna respond! You try to tell a girl you're sorry, and that's how she treats you?" He slammed his head against his desk. "Ugh, she hates me."

"Tai, you're going to be late for school!" his mother cried.


Izzy copied down notes from his Japanese History lecture with steel-trap concentration. The teacher was going on about Oda Nobunaga and how he came to unify Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century along with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. His wrist was a blur as his pencil scribbled across the paper with stunning speed and precision. When something important needed to be emphasized, he underlined the word three times.

Mimi sat two rows behind him to his left side, having a hard time staying awake. This lecture was so boring; she couldn't wait for it be over. Her eyes drifted over to the red-haired Jedi of Knowledge, amazed at how he kept his concentration.

In the back of her mind, Mimi had a feeling that Izzy was hiding something. When she told him the other day about Sora's anger at Tai, he reacted like he had been told his mother was dying. Being the nosy, have-to-know creature that she was, Mimi was annoyed at not knowing what was going on. She had to know.

The lecture passed by without incident, and the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. The class stood up and bowed to their teacher, thanking him for the lesson, before collecting their belongings.

In a mad dash to leave the room, Izzy got out ahead of Mimi before she could confront him. The Jedi of Sincerity was determined, however, to not let him get away. Her legs pumped in a fast walk to catch up.

"Izzy, can we talk?" she asked.

He shrugged while not breaking his stride. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"The other day," Mimi replied, matching his pace step for step.

Izzy kept his eyes pointed forward, not bothering to look at her. "What about it? I told you that I talked to Tai and he's getting it taken care of with Sora. Nothing to it."

"You were acting weird for something that was a simple quarrel," she shot back. Mimi grabbed his arm and pulled him against a wall.

"Mimi, what the he-" he protested before being cut off.

"You know something, Izzy Izumi. What is it?" she hissed. "Is there something else going on with Tai and Sora?"

Izzy's face turned a light shade of pink. Being this close to a girl made his head swim and his face heat up, even with Mimi's frightening glare.

"There's nothing going on," he replied. "It was just a misunderstanding between friends."

"Don't give me that. I've noticed they've been awkward around each other when they're with us. What is going on? You seem to know what it is."

Izzy gulped. Mimi may have been an airhead at times, but she was not dumb in any sense of the word. He had to give her a lot of credit. The light pink shade on his face darkened.

"You really want to know?" he asked.

"Yes," Mimi nodded.

Ding!

Izzy released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. He reached down to his pocket and saw a message notification on the D-Terminal. Saved by the email.

"Could you let me read this for a minute?" he asked.

Mimi nodded and let him go, allowing him to read the message.

Sender: Unknown

To: Izzy Izumi

CC: Tai Kamiya, Sora Takenouchi, Matt Ishida, and eight others

Destined Jedi,

If you receive this message, we need your help as soon as possible. Something is happening at the old Giga House on the continent of Server. Dark forces are starting to come back to the Digital World.

Should you choose to help us, here are the coordinates to the house:

Lat. 66˚N, Long. 38˚W, sector V.

Please hurry! Time is of the essence.

A feeling of dread washed over Izzy as he read the message over. The message itself was odd. With Ken defeated and beginning his trial period with the group, there should have been no evil left for them to fight against. Another red flag was the fact the sender's name was 'unknown'. If the situation was dire, they should have at least put their name to it.

"Something wrong?" Mimi asked.

Izzy nodded and said, "We need to get to the warehouse. There's trouble." He pulled out his D-Terminal and typed out a message.

Izzy: Did you guys read that message on your D-Terminal?

Yes. Tai answered a few seconds later, as did everyone else.

Tai: Doesn't sound good. We've gotta get to the Digital World as soon as we can.

Sora: It could be something serious. Let's get going.

Roger. Izzy typed back. Mimi and I will be on our way to the warehouse. Meet us there. All of us are going.

Tai: You got it.

Sora: See you in a few.

I'll try to get out as quickly as I can, Izzy. Joe messaged.

Izzy: Just be there, Joe.

Izzy tucked the D-Terminal back into his blazer pocket.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mimi said, taking his hand and whisking him off down the hall. "Let's go!"


The Destined Jedi emerged from the other side of the digital divide using the coordinates that were given in the D-Terminal message. Sure enough, there was a gigantic house in front of them. It was only two stories high and covered in pale yellow brick, but to the Jedi, they may as well have been staring up at Tokyo Tower.

Everything around the property was the scale of a giant's hand. The picket fence in front of the Jedi looked like an impassable fortress, the wide windows and sliding glass doors like skyscrapers, and the well-trimmed lawn was a dark, dense forest. This must have been what it felt like to be an insect, thought the Jedi. Small, insignificant, and powerless.

"That thing is ginormous," Davis gasped, his jaw almost to his collarbone.

"It lives up to its name for sure," TK agreed, awed by the scale of the house. "I'm not getting anything here, Izzy. Are you sure this is where the person who sent that message said they would be?"

"Affirmative," the computer genius replied. "Maybe they're inside. If darkness is festering inside that house, that's where they'll be."

Tai shifted and shook as a chill went up his arms. Something dark was in there. He couldn't tell what it was, but it gave him the willies.

"How are we going to get inside?" he asked. "There doesn't seem to be any small cracks in a windowsill or an opening in the door."

"I'm way ahead of you on that."

Everyone looked behind them at the sound of the new voice. Standing a few feet away was a boy with raven-black hair and light indigo eyes. A plain black yukata wrapped around him like a cloak of darkness. He smiled at them with a hesitant smile.

Matt walked up to him. "Hey, Ken," he greeted, patting him on the shoulder. "Glad you could make it."

Ken nodded in greeting, but did not say a word. He looked past the blonde Jedi to meet Tai's eyes.

"I did some scouting before you all got here and found several entry points," he continued. Ken sniffed the air. The scent of darkness surrounded the house. "But we must be careful. The dark side is strong here."

"What is it?" Tai asked.

"I don't know."

"How can you tell, Ken?" TK asked. "I can't feel anything from here. How do you know it's the dark side?"

The raven-haired boy kept his eyes focused straight ahead. His expression stayed concentrated the entire time as he said, "When you've spent your whole life in darkness, you know the scent of it like your own face."

The leader sighed and then turned to the rest of the team. "Okay, then let's split into three teams of four." Tai pointed to TK, Kari, Izzy, and Mimi. "You four go together and enter through an open window," then to Davis, Matt, Ken, and Cody. "And you four go together. Cover the sliding glass doors. Sora, Yolei, Joe, you guys are with me. We'll take the door."

Everyone nodded with determination.

"Let's go."

On the roof, keeping out of sight, Arukenimion watched the Jedi split off with her binocucom. A sick grin rose on her face. This plan was all too easy.

She lifted her communicator to her mouth. "Mummymon, they're coming. Be ready. This is going to be nice and easy."

"Copy," the mummy replied. "I'm ready when you are."


Tai and his group slashed a large gap in the door to get inside. They were in awe of the scale of everything. If the outside of the house was enormous, the inside felt like a vast cave that stretched on for miles. They had been transported into their own version of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!"

Yolei used the Force to help her jump up to the ledge above them. She pulled rope from her bag and let it down so that the others could climb up too. Within two minutes, all four Jedi stood on the hardwood floors.

"What now?" Joe asked. "Yolei, do you sense anything?"

The lavender-haired Jedi looked around the whole foyer, concentrating on getting a sniff of the dark presence that Ken had felt.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not getting anything."

"That's okay, Yolei," Sora patted her shoulder. "You tried. This dark presence seems to be a little slippery."

"We're going to have to split up," said Tai. "Joe, you take Yolei into the living room. Sora and I will scope out the main hallway."

"You got it, Tai," Joe replied with a nod as he and Yolei walked into the room to their right. What would have taken two steps in a regular house took almost ten times that here.

The Jedi of Courage and Love walked silently down the hallway, looking around for any trace of something suspicious. So far, nothing seemed wrong aside from the house being completely empty. Tai looked at Sora, but she refused to meet his gaze.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" he asked, looking around to make sure no one was listening.

Sora continued her silent stride, not bothering to look at him.

"Come on, Sora. Talk to me."

"Go away, Tai," the auburn-haired Jedi bit with a flustered face.

Tai shook his head, giving her an admonishing gaze. "Can't do that," he said. "We have to stick together here."

Sora stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. The words she wanted to say filled her throat, but would not come out. She wasn't sure what to do between responding to his text message and shouting at him for what a stupid joke he made. Instead of answering, she turned away. Her arms folded across her chest as she stuck her nose to the ceiling.

"Sorry. Can't hear you," she said with an angry huff. "My mop hair is covering my ears."

"It was a joke!" Tai replied, struggling to keep his voice down. "I didn't mean anything by it."

Sora knew he meant it, but her stubbornness did not allow her to give in.

As the tug of war inside her raged on, she blurted out, "You annoy me! Like, royally annoy me."

Tai hissed at her, "You're just as much of a pain. Why do you always have to be such a drama queen about this stuff?"

"I'm not a drama queen! You're an idiot!"

"That makes two of us. Just forgive me already, and let's move on. Please? I'm sorry."

Sora scrunched her lip as she started to give in. Even so, she still refused to turn around to meet his eyes. She grunted.

"Smooth move with the thundershowers and the," she looked down with a blush, "love part. Did you really mean that?"

"Y-Yeah I meant it," Tai replied as he stumbled over his words. He looked at her with earnest hope. "Are you done being mad at me now?"

Sora's face fell hearing the slight hesitation. Her left foot skimmed lightly across the hardwood floor panel below her.

"So you didn't mean it?" she asked with slight disappointment.

Tai took her hand into his. He first checked around the hallway to make sure none of the other Jedi came around the corner to see them. When the coast was clear, he gave her a warm smile.

"I do," he whispered. "I do mean it."

Sora blushed, and gave him a quick hug. "I'm sorry, Tai," she whispered.

Tai accepted the hug, squeezing her tightly. "Me too," he replied in a hushed voice before letting her go. "Now, let's get moving. We have a job to do."

Sora nodded with a bright smile. Tai was relieved she wasn't upset with him anymore as the two continued down the hall.


At the sliding glass doors, Matt looked up at the handle. It was as tall as the World Trade Center practically; there was no way to get up there and pull it. No matter, he thought.

In a quick flash, his saber roared to life and plunged into the glass. Matt cut in a large circle until he reached the end. The sculpted glass fell from the window and shattered on the ground.

The Jedi of Friendship carefully stepped over the sharp glass of the door and into the house, being mindful where he stepped.

"Okay," he said, stretching out his hands, "who's next?"

Ken was first to volunteer. Matt took his hands and guided him into the house. Davis came in after him, with both Jedi assisting him. When Cody came up, he gave Ken a hateful glare.

"Don't touch me," he growled as Matt guided him in.

Ken's face fell as his eyes gazed sadly at the ground. He bit his lip, but did not say another word.

"Be careful, guys. There's glass everywhere." Matt cautioned. "Follow me."

The group of four walked through what seemed to be the kitchen. The oven was about the size of a parking garage, and the fridge a mountain. So far, there were no signs of anything evil in the house. It was too quiet and calm for their liking. If Matt's past experiences taught him anything, it was to question everything he saw. Nothing was always what it seemed.

Ken dragged his feet along, his face still mopey after getting a taste of Cody's cold shoulder. Having Matt around was something he still was getting used to after being alone for so long. It felt nice to have someone to talk to, but it wasn't the same as having a friend. Cody made it clear he had no intentions of doing that.

Davis looked at Ken out of the corner of his eye. He could not help but feel sorry for him at all the cold treatment he was getting from Cody. Several of the others had a hard time accepting him on the team too, even if it was just for a trial period. It was strange. Just a couple weeks ago, he would have killed Ken without hesitation. Now, however, it was like everything did a 180.

He dragged behind Matt a couple steps so that he walked alongside Ken. The raven-haired boy glanced up, and Davis gave him a warm smile. Ken returned it with a nervous smile of his own and looked back at the floor.

The kitchen got the all clear after a few more close inspections. Or so it seemed. As the group walked toward the entry into the hallway, Ken sensed something behind them. The dark feeling he sensed earlier grew.

"Wait," he said.

"What is it, Ken?" Matt asked.

"Do you guys hear that?"

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

A bead of sweat trickled down Davis' forehead. His hand latched onto the assuring cold metal of his lightsaber. The presence blanketed the entire room. They were surrounded.

Something charged at them from behind.

Davis spun around, unleashing his lightsaber and slashed to his left. A dying scream was heard before an explosion of data. Matt and Cody were quick to join in and attack. Out of the cupboards and from the sink, cockroaches spilled out to surround the Jedi.

"It was a trap," Davis grumbled, slashing one of the insect's arms off before plunging his saber into its body.

"Ken, get out of here!" Matt yelled over the sound of lightsaber attacks and screams from the cockroaches when they were destroyed. "Go get help!"

Without his saber, Ken knew there was nothing he could really do to help. As much as he didn't want to abandon them, he nodded and ran out of the kitchen to seek help. He tore off down the hallway, using the Force to enhance his speed.

He went from room to room, but found no one. None of the Jedi were in the area. This was not good. Where was everyone? They all should have been inside the house by now.

The sound of a flute being played caught his attention. He looked around. Where was it coming from? His eyes fell on the closed door to his right. The flute sounded stronger here. Ken crawled under the doorway and found himself in complete darkness. The smell of mothballs blasted his nose.

The flute had stopped playing. Ken was now surrounded in darkness with no idea what to do next. Maybe he had just been hearing things.

"The Force is with you, Ken," a sneering female voice said from above. "But you are not a Jedi yet."

Ken spun around. A light from a hole in the wall outlined a tall woman with a large hat. "Who are you?" he asked. "What do you want with us?"

"Us?" the woman snickered. "You may think you're one of the Jedi now, little boy, but you're not. Even if you'd like to be. Our master is waiting for you to come home. Fulfill your destiny."

Ken narrowed his eyes and reached for his waist on instinct. "I'll never go back!" he roared and pulled his hand off, expecting a saber in his fingertips.

Arukenimon cackled loudly.

Ken looked at his hand and saw nothing there. He blushed with embarrassment remembering that he lost his saber long ago. His hand dropped behind his back.

"Look at this! A Jedi that's all bark and no saber," the woman laughed hysterically. Her red saber flashed with a bone-chilling sound. "Well, here's mine. You're defenseless, and all alone."

"That's what you think!" Ken shot back. "I can still use the Force to stop you."

A Force wave shot out of his hand. Arukenimon crossed over to her right to avoid the attack. Ken was stunned by how quick her movements were. She moved almost like a spider.

"Ooh, glorified magic. How quaint," Arukenimon replied dismissively. "Here's some magic for you. Mummymon!"

Whack!

Ken slumped over from the blow. The cloaked figure stopped the boy before he hit the floor and placed him over his shoulder. Ken was out cold.

"All too easy," Mummymon smirked. "Let's go before the Jedi can catch us."

"Not so fast," Arukenimon admonished, jumping down to meet him. "We still have to capture the other little brat and kill the others. Master instructed us to bring both of them to him."

The mummy sighed, but nodded. He reached into his cloak and took a saber out of it.

"Then let's hunt some Jedi," he said with an excited growl.


Matt and his two charges sprinted down the hall at full speed, desperate to get away from the cockroaches chasing them.

"They're gaining on us!" Davis shouted. "Go faster, Matt!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, Davis!" Matt shot back. A slightly ajar door came up on their left. "Over there!"

The three Jedi dove into the room and slammed the door with their feet before the cockroaches could gain a foothold. Matt panted heavily, as did the other two boys. The adrenaline that ran through them slowly faded, and they took the opportunity to check their surroundings.

They were in a study of sorts. The bookshelves towered high above them, filled with dozens, if not hundreds, of books on nearly every subject. On the far side of the room was a desk and a computer. The screen was the size of a jumbotron in a sports stadium. Matt snickered to himself. Izzy would do some serious damage with a computer like that.

"Guys!"

Matt turned to his right and saw TK's group was also in the room. He sighed in relief, allowing a smile to play on his lips. Seeing friendly faces put him at ease. Izzy stared at the giant computer with a reverential stare as Mimi tried to pull him away. Kari joined TK's side as they went to greet the newcomers.

"TK," Matt acknowledged with a nod. "You guys okay?"

"We're fine," the younger blonde replied. "It's you guys I should be asking if you're okay."

"Barely alive. Thanks, TP," Davis said. This time, the insult was laced with teasing rather than the usual contempt. "We had to play exterminator for a little while back there."

TK shrugged off the intentional misspelling of his name this time. There was no use getting riled up at Davis in this situation. He looked past them and noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Ken?" he asked.

"Who cares," Cody grumbled. "Hopefully he's far away from here."

Davis lightly flicked the boy's head. "That's enough, Cody," he said sternly. "Whether you like it or not, he's on our team for now."

"Trust me, I don't like it." Cody shot back, rubbing the spot where Davis flicked him.

"Then I'm sure you don't care about what happens to him," a female voice snickered above them.

The Jedi looked up at the top of a shelf. Two figures they had never seen before sneered down at them. One was dressed all in red, while the other was in blue. Over the blue one's shoulder was something wrapped in white bandages. It laid the wrapped up body down to reveal the figure's identity.

"Ken!" Matt cried. His green lightsaber roared to life. "You let him go!"

The woman clicked her tongue. "Nice to meet you too," she said in mock offense. "These are the Destined Jedi? If that's the best Homeostasis could do, then it must have run out of good options. Don't you think so, Mummymon?"

"I concur with that, Arukenimon," Mummymon returned with a nod. His mouth stuck up from behind his jacket as he spoke. "If you must know, we're simply taking him back to our master."

"Give Ken back!" Davis shouted, activating his saber. "He's not going anywhere!"

The woman's sunglasses shined with an evil gleam. Her eyes were fixed right on TK, his goggles sitting proudly on the brim of his hat. This was the one their master wanted them to get. Power radiated off the boy, as well as the stench of something else. Arukenimon smirked. This would be too easy.

"You want him, then I propose a trade." She pointed a bony, gloved finger at TK. "We'll trade you the pathetic fallen Emperor for that little boy there. Our master wishes to speak with him."

The younger blonde relaxed in surprise. "What does your master want with me?" he challenged.

"Come with us, and you'll find out," Mummymon replied with a snicker. "Let's not make this harder than it has to be. You'll be saving your so-called friend if you do."

Matt stood protectively in front of his brother. "Over my dead body," he growled.

"That sounds like a reasonable exchange," Arukenimon nodded.

With Ken over his shoulder again, Mummymon leapt down with her to attack the Jedi. Their red lightsabers roared to life. Arukenimon went straight for the Jedi on the right, while Mummymon handled the three boys.

The first move the woman made was to eliminate the other three Jedi near TK. Izzy and Mimi were easy to handle. After blocking two strikes from them, she used a powerful Force wave to blow them into the legs of the desk. Kari was quickly disarmed and kicked in the jaw.

"Kari!" TK cried, seeing her lay on the ground. His eyes burned with anger, striking hard to get an opening to kill Arukenimon. The woman, though, was well trained in saber combat and matched his speed with ease.

Arukenimon jumped up onto a shelf to escape the pressure from down below, and TK followed right behind. They pressed their sabers against one another. The Jedi of Hope gnashed his teeth painfully to try and break through her defense, but his adversary kept her composure. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

"I sense great fear in you, young Jedi," she taunted. Her sunglasses kept any sparks out of her eyes. "Your pride is enormous; you have hate, and you have anger. But you don't use them."

"Stop it!" TK growled as he broke the lock. The beast he kept inside was finally being let out. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I know enough about all of you," the woman shot back as they resumed their dance of death. The ledge was so narrow that the slightest movement would send someone plummeting to their death. "Your thoughts betray you, young Jedi," she looked down at Kari, who was now helping Matt's group fight Mummymon. "I know how much it hurt you when she didn't return your feelings."

"SHUT UP!" TK roared, throwing everything into his next attacks. His mind shut down and his body reacted on instinct. He ignored the pain in his arms as he swung his saber in every direction.

'Excellent,' Arukenimon thought with glee. 'I have him right where I want him.'

While stuck in her thoughts, TK tied up their sabers and reached for her throat. His hand squeezed around her neck. Arukenimon dropped her saber as TK pressed her against a book spine.

"Whoever your master is, tell him we send a message," he growled with utter hatred. "Tell him that if you so much as come near us again, I will personally slice you and your partner to pieces."

A sudden cry interrupted them. TK looked down and saw Matt down on the floor, his head bleeding.

"Matt!" he cried.

Arukenimon sneered. Now was her chance. She called her saber back to her hand and activated it. TK was so surprised that he couldn't react in time. With one fell swoop, Arukenimon scratched him on the bicep of his yukata. The cloth tore away to reveal the smoldering scratch on his skin.

TK's hand went right for his arm, covering the wound. The move allowed Arukenimon an opening for a Force push. TK fell from the bookshelf down to the floor. He adjusted his landing position so that he hit the ground on his feet.

"I think we've had enough fun for today, Mummymon. Let's go," Arukenimon said to her companion. "Leave the boy."

The mummy squeaked in surprise. "What? But Master said –"

"We'll have a greater surprise in store for him later," the woman explained. "For now, let's go."

The mummy heard the door pop open, sensing the presence of the four remaining Destined Jedi that were not in the room. He and Arukenimon were strong, but not strong enough to take on all eleven Destined Jedi with Ken knocked out. It was better to live and fight another day.

"As you wish."

Mummymon jumped out of the circle and made a break for the top of the desk, leaving Ken behind. Tai and his group burst through the door, lightsabers drawn, but the two fiends escaped out the window.

Tai couldn't believe the scene in front of him. Ken was unconscious, TK gritted his teeth in pain as he held his hand over the wound on his arm. What had happened? Yolei went over to TK to heal the scratch.

"Who were those two?" he asked Matt.

"They were the evil in the house," was the Jedi of Friendship's sharp reply. "Now I know why we're still here. There's more out there. We've got to be ready for it."

Tai stared out the window, wondering just how they were going to deal with this new evil. Things had taken a turn. He also had a feeling that the group's dynamic would change because of it too.


With these new adversaries, what will the Destined Jedi do next, and just how will things change? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor.

Plenty of callbacks in this chapter, from 'Empire Strikes Back' to 'Our War Games'. Since I didn't do a version of 'War Games', I decided to just sprinkle some of the major events (Mom baking a cake, Tai saying something stupid to Sora, the message, etc.) into this story. Hope you guys enjoyed them.

I also did my best to totally deviate Arukenimon and Mummymon from their series interpretations. Much more calculating and dark than just being Digimon's Jessie and James. They kinda wore out their welcome as the series went on if you ask me.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter because next week, things are going to change in a big way for the Jedi. Some of you may have figured it out already, but it will shock you.

As always, leave a review and subscribe. During these crazy times, I am wanting to hear as much feedback from you guys as you can give me. It makes me feel good to hear what you guys think.

See you all next weekend. Take care of yourselves. We'll get through this together.