A/N: I don't own Digimon.

Phoenix And Dragons

Chapter 8:

Sora woke up in a room of crimson tiles and gold trims. Above her was a crystal chandelier and a ceiling covered in ancient pictures. As she looked closer she saw one that looked like, "Tai?"

"Yeah?" Hearing a reply her eyes widened and she shot up now noticing her surroundings Kari was seated in a chair next to her with a pink head with long ears on her lap. She looked closer and her jaw dropped in realization at the creature as it had chocolate brown eyes and a familiar mess of hair on its head. "Taichi?" She asked again using his full name to see if really was him.

"What is it Sora? You don't look so good, are you okay?" It questioned concern in his voice as it edged closer to her. Her eyes then began to tear as she hopped off the bed and held him glad to hear his voice again even if it was higher than normal. "Whoa Sora! Are you ok?" He asked again. "Nightmare? Homesick? Something else?"

"No you stupid Tai I'm just glad my friend is back to himself." She laughed. Then stopped when she heard clapping coming from Kari who when she turned had a mischievous smirk on her face. She was about to ask why she looked like that when someone came into the room. He had on a yellow short sleeved shirt with a D like symbol and a open red jacket over it. He also had on 2 light brown gloves and matching shorts and red and orange shoes. On his head he on a light brown hat over his darker brown hair and eyes with goggles wrapped around them.

"Ah your awake, your friends were worried when we found you unconscious and semi-buried into the ground along with Marcus. The Koromon even digivolved to check on you." She felt Tai warm up in her arms at notion of his words. "Anyway I checking to see if you were okay and tell the rest of you that dinner is ready. Oh and by the way I'm King Takuya Kanbara of the Dragon Kingdom and I'll see you there princess." He then turned and left closing the door behind him. She looked down at Tai for answers.

"The Dragon Army showed up and OKOed big dark and hangry. When we went to find out where you were and found you almost buried in the dirt out of it and it scared me so much I digivolved to see if you were ok." He looked away embarrassed when she smiled at him silently thanking him. "A-Anyway I'm hungry can you please take me to the dining room and make me a 20 pound plate." Sora and Kari laughed when they heard this and kept laughing all the way to the hall where they had a few more people there than they expected to be. At the table sat Takuya at the head with a brown haired boy next to him and Marcus seated one chair away next to Kristy and across from Yoshi. Sora noticed 2 spots across from each other between Marus and the other boy and Kari sat down. She would've sat down with her but didn't know where to put a talking head other than the table. She had also felt completely powerless in their presence.

"I'm sorry princess if forgot that our guest here needs a 'little' help." Takuya apologized seeing her dialema and had a small table pulled up next to her chair. After they all had sat down the other boy started to introduce himself.

"Hi I"m Takato Matsuki, Takuya's my older cousin it's nice to meet you princess." He held out his hand and she took it and shook before doing the same.

"Nice to meet you too, my names Sora Takenouchi of the Phoenix Kingdom it's a pleasure to be here but you all can just call me Sora." "Alright Sora."

"Now onto business as we wait for the food to be brought out. Sora as thanks to you for saving our people we would be glad to assist you in taking out the 2 evils of this world. I also would like to apologize to what you are about to witness." Sora wondered what he meant when the food arrived and the boys all got 20 pounds worth of food on their plates even Tai. Her and Kari's eyes widened when they saw them attack their food. Kristy looked away disgusted and Yoshi held a frown of disappointment on her face. When they finished Tai was on his 5th plate chowing down while the rest were sitting back in there chairs picking their teeth. The girls had just started eating.

"I thought only Tai and Dad could have that appetite jeez." Kari groaned as she watched Tai finish up the plate before asking for another. "No more Tai please I can't keep watching you eat so much with that tiny stomach."

"It's a dragon thing." Takato replied blushing lightly in embarrassment as he had never eaten in front of non reptilian Hybrids. "You see because we give off so much power in our attacks we need to consume a lot of energy and because Tai's an in-training Hybrid he needs a lot of energy just to make it to rookie speaking of which, how is Tai the big brother here?" Sora and Kari looked down at the mention of this.

"Tai was killed when he fought off a bounty hunter in the Plant Kingdom. It was a battle between champion and ultimate and not only did that give him a disadvantage but he couldn't use his strongest attacks either due to the forest surrounding him." Kari sniffled as she retold the event. "Me and Sora were caught up with the other members and when I finally got there he was ambushed and fatally wounded." Tears were coming down her face. "If only I was faster I could've stopped it from happening and-"

"Kari that's enough!" Tai shouted looking up at her from his food. "If that didn't happen you wouldn't have digivolved into ultimate, slay that demon, and bring me back. You did what you could and in the end made everyone proud even Mom and Dad." He watched her tear up and reach over the table to pick him up and hug him. "It's alright Kari I'm here now okay?" He felt her nod and they stayed there until a question rose in his head. "How are you all mega level?"

"It's because of Calumon, you see Calumon are rare Digimon who release a digivolving light and between him and training in the mountains it's pretty easy to digivolve here." Takuya replied. "Though you guys are special I mean going ultimate before 18 without another power source is incredible." He had to admit it was rare to find an ultimate level below the age of 17 and yet these two were 13 and 15 respectfully. He was about to question them further when his senses kicked in sensing danger. "Everyone! Get down now!" He shouted but realized he was to late when a rumble seemed to be heard from above. They all hurried out side and looked up to see an Airdramon soaring through the night sky with a silver shadow on its back. "Me, Takato, and Sora will go and check it out the rest of you go and warn the villagers!"

"Right!" They called out and Takuya, Takato, and Sora flew up to the Airdramon and its mysterious passenger leaving the rest to go warn the villagers. As they flew up to the flying dragon Digimon someone started throwing strange objects at them. Takuya looked closer and his eyes widened in fear and recognition at the object, a banana. "Guys this isn't any invasion!" He shouted at them. The two then looked at him with confusion until he explained. "That's MetalEtemon the most feared assassin in the world." Their eyes widened in fear.

"The MetalEtemon?" Sora asked and shivered when he nodded and held up the object the metal monkey was thowing at them, a banana.

"We can take him down if we work together right I mean we aren't easy to kill." Takato suggested. The other two nod and they took off again after him only to realized he was above them the whole time.

"Not easy to kill huh. We'll see about that shall we?" He then picked up a guitar from nowhere and started playing. "Dark Network ya!" He strummed the guitar and the earth started to shake.

"What's going on?" Sora shouted but was ignored when giant black tendril ripped out of the ground. Then another and then another until they created a cage surrounding the valley. "Wha-"

Meanwhile Tai, Kari, and Calumon were rounding up villagers and trying to get them to hide and escape in the mountains when giant black tendrils blocked their way up the mountain. "Crap now what?" Tai questioned until the tendril started to glow. "Everyone to the castle garden hurry!" He shouted as beams started to rain down from the cage. Please everyone be okay. I'm sorry I'm too weak to help out. He thought as Kari rushed him and the villagers to the garden to find Marcus, Yoshi, and the rest of the kingdom already there.

"I don't like this." Calumon moaned. Kristy rubbed his back. "Me too buddy."

"What the hell's going on?" Marcus questioned until the Airdramon hovered in front of them with MetalEtemon on top with an evil smirk on his face. "You!"

"Sorry everyone but I've been hired to rid you of this world uh huh. But before I do that I have a couple presents for you." He then picked up three small shapes and through them into the crowd who gasped and stepped away in fear. As Tai and Kari shoved their way through the sight that greeted them shocked them both to the core. There on the ground was another Koromon and Gigimon and a Yokomon all bruised and beaten.

"Guys!" Tai cried out as he hopped over to them and tried to see if they were okay. When he heard a moan from Sora his heart stopped at the weak and small voice that came out.

"T-Tai? I-Is that y-you?" Kari then came over and started healing them with her light.

"You bastard!" Marcus cried and he charged the metallic ape who swatted him away and strummed his guitar. As soon as he did a beam shot down from the top of the cage and zapped Marcus who cried out in pain.

"Marcus!" Yoshi and Kristy cried out. When the smoke from the blast died down a bruised Koromon lay in the crater. The villagers screamed and tried to run only for the entire cage to start raining beams of darkness down on the poor Digimon and Hybrids.

"Whoa is everyone okay?" Tai called out as the only ones that weren't affected were the in-training Digimon. His eyes widened in fear as he saw the entire population of the Dragon Kingdom reduced to tiny babies. He then saw a couple Digimon hopping over to him looking more tired than hurt. The group consisted of Sora, Takuya, Takato, a Tanemon, another Yokomon, another Koromon, and, "Kari?" Tai blinked his eyes at the small Nyaromon and felt his heart shatter as he looked at her scared little eyes. This needs to stop but how? He then heard Takuya start to speak.

"Tai you need to Digivolve. Your the only one who hasn't been zapped that can fight." He begged. "Please save my kingdom and my people." "Bu-"

"Please Taichi." Sora started. "Please I beg you, your our only hope. Please Tai!" Tears started to form in her eyes.

"But I can't, I'm not strong enough! I mean even if I digivolved the highest I could go is champion and we're fighting a mega level! I'm to weak." Slap! Tai stopped ranting to look at his sister who had slapped him with her tail. She had tears spilling out of her eyes and pulled him into a hug.

"Your not weak! You are my big brother who never gives up and has the courage to stand up for others. You have the power to stop him, you have to do it no, you will do it!" She looked up at him and he nodded and gave her his infamous smile. She's right I can do this!

"All right lets do this!" He grabbed two sticks and plunged them into the ground. Then slowly backed up stretching his ears with Takato holding him in place when he stopped. "Okay Takato aim a little to the left, now right a bit, there! On my mark let go." Sora watched on as he was about to catapult himself towards MetalEtemon worry painted on her tiny pink face.

"He'll be okay he's a brave knight ready to save his kingdom. All we can do is have faith alright?" Sora looked up at Yoshi and nodded then looked down at Kari who was hugging her with her tail and smiled.

"You're right we need to have faith."

"3! 2! 1! Fire!" Takato let go of him and they watched him fly and a orange aura started to surround him. "Koromon digivolve to.. Agumon! Agumon digivolve to... Greymon!" A red beam of light shot from Calumon's head and hit Tai. Sora and Kari smiled at Tai as he was now fully back then turned into a cheer of hope as he started changing again. "Greymon Digivolve to.." As he flew his armor and clothes returned along with his helmet and goggles. His white gloves then changed and became chrome digizoid which traveled up his left arm up to his shoulder where his armor changed as well now covering his chest. His helmet then began changing along with his horns into the digital metal. Then two giant tattered purple wings ripped out his back as he roared his name.

"MetalGreymon!" Everyone stood in shock and surprise at the unknown Hybrid. MetalEtemon looked down from Airdramon and jumped in surprise as the ultimate quickly flew up to them.

"Don't just stand there attack!" He shouted to the Airdramon who turned towards the Hybrid.

"Wind Cutter!" It flapped its wings and created a series of wind blades flying towards Tai who easily dodged them. Tai's wings then started to sparkle and fly faster creating a trail of glitter in the sky.

"My turn Metal Slash!" Tai's hand changed and became a sword which began to glow a bluish color as he flew through the air towards Airdramon and in one swipe flew up and hovered above them.

"Ha you missed you no good ultimate!" MetalEtemon taunted but stopped when he saw Tai give off a smirk then looked down at the Airdramon and in shock watched as its head slid slowly off and into a freefall before dissolving into data. "Oh, shit." The rest of the flying dragon dissolved and MetalEtemon started to plummet to the earth below.

"I'm not done yet Giga Storm!" The armor on his chest opened up to release a massive beam of energy which hit the falling monkey slamming him into the black cage. "Now! Grey Horn!" His Horns started to glow and his body became surrounded in flames as he rammed into MetalEtemon who screamed in pain as his body started to melt. They broke through the tendril and came down like a flaming meteor and crashed into the royal garden.

"Tai!" The group of in-trainings ran towards the crater to see the aftermath and saw Tai standing over an unconscious MetalEtemon. The kingdom cheered with victory and relief which only grew louder when the cage dissolved a moment later and they went back to normal. Tai looked around at the crowd surrounding the crater then down at his fallen opponent and tilted his head back and roared. To his surprised they roared with him cheering him on.

"Tai!" He turned and saw Kari and Sora run up and hug him. Both had tears of joy just seeing him now back at full strength and more at his victory. He laughed and wrapped his arms around them.

"This alright?" He asked and smiled when they nodded. They stayed that way until Takuya called out to them. The villagers had started a party in celebration so it was hard to hear him.

"You guys partying or what?" "Yeah we're coming!" As Tai was about to ask them to let go he noticed a holy ring start appear underneath MetalEtemon's body. The ring then started to glow and Tai flapped his wings taking the girls with him as it started to suck up MetalEtemon's body.

"What was that?" Kari asked after the ring had disappeared.

"Some kind of gate or portal I believe. But to where?" Sora thought aloud. They stopped their thinking when Takuya and Marcus grabbed Tai and dragged him to the 'adult table' silently telling each other to talk about it later. As the to older boys dragged Tai something clicked in Sora's head. "He can't drink yet! He's only 15!" Kari giggled next to her.

"Think about it like this you could get him to spill his darkest secrets." She had an evil smirk on her face. Sora glared at her. "What I won't do it. You can tell me later okay." She winked and left.

"KARI!" She shouted after her. Why is she an Angel again? Nevermind first I have to get Tai away from that table. With her mission set she charged over to the table and planned to scold him for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile in the Mountain Kingdom: "God damnit! I gave you 1 job! 1 Fucking job! How hard is it to kill a bunch of babies." The king shouted at MetalEtemon who coward in fear of his wrath. The monkey was bound with chains tide arounds his wrist and both the two boys standing next to him had laser swords to his neck.

"I apologize your majesty but it was that MetalGreymon kids fault yeah." He watched as the king visibly shivered along with the two boys holding him.

"M-MetalGreymon? But they're extinct great grandfather killed them all off 100 years ago." The king then clenched his fist and looked down at MetalEtemon. "New plan this year at the Digigames we're gonna slay those cursed Greymon once and for all."

End of Chapter 8