Koji didn't know what to do.

After he purified Malkakomon, the group decided to head back to the train station to consider what their options were for the next step. Obviously, their destination was still Rose Morning Star so that they could defeat Cherubimon, but they needed a bit of time to rest before they would be ready to set out again. Malkakomon had tired out both Koji and Koichi immensely, and there were no objections to being given the extra time to recuperate before the charge on Rose Morning Star began.

Koji sat in a booth on the far side of the train station near where the Burgemons' counter was. He was staring down at his hand, watching the way that he rubbed his nails across the table mindlessly. Every once in a while, he would steal a glance off to his left where Koichi was sitting. He never was able to meet the other boy's eyes, and neither one of them seemed to be ready to speak.

Koichi had been silent the whole way back to the train station. He had been resistant to the group's attempts to introduce themselves, smiling and nodding in response to everything that was said despite it being clear that he wasn't fully processing any of the information sent his way. Something about him still felt distant and unsettled, not that Koji could particularly blame him. This situation was something out of a nightmare for both of them, and he could only imagine how awful it must have been for Koichi.

Still, he didn't know how to close the gap between them, so all he did was continue to stay still as he rubbed his nails across the table before him. He wished that there was an answer to this problem, but as far as he was aware, no easy solution was ever going to present itself, so he allowed the silence to swallow him once again.

Koichi didn't know what to do.

He had been anxious and on edge ever since he was purified from his Spirit form, but he couldn't quite explain why. He knew that if he tried, it would only end in tears, and the last thing he deserved was to have a breakdown. The other members of the team would undoubtedly attempt to comfort them, but he didn't deserve that. After all that he had done to hurt them, he wasn't worthy of their kindness or mercy.

Koichi could remember everything that he did as Duskmon in stunning clarity despite how dazed he had been at the time. He hated everything that he had been forced to do, and the idea of hearing Cherubimon's voice again made him feel sick. There was nothing he could do to free himself of his guilt. He was simply going to have to live with it as he wondered what he could have ever done to deserve the kindness of the Legendary Warriors.

He looked over at Koji out of the corner of his eye. Koichi had taken a seat in the corner of the restaurant furthest away from the Burgemons' counter, and the distance between himself and Koji was both far too minimal and criminally large at the same time. He swallowed dryly in an attempt to dispel his nerves, but it didn't work, leaving Koichi to drown in his own anxiety once again.

Koichi wanted to cry, but he wasn't deserving of that kindness. He had done horrible things, and he was simply going to have to live with it. He wasn't worthy of the care of his brother, so even if he was desperate to approach Koji, he held himself back. The silence settled in like a wave of constant static that flooded every part of his being.

None of them knew what to do.

The suspense was already getting to Takuya, and he could barely sit still in his attempts to prevent himself from getting up and forcing the brothers to talk himself. The rest of the group appeared to be the same way. They had all crowded themselves into a trio of booths that split the difference between Koji and Koichi, offering everyone more than enough power to look back and forth between the two. Even Saki, who seemed heavily resistant to communicating with the rest of the group, had joined them, and their gaze was constantly set in something critical as they attempted to put the pieces together regarding the connection between the Warriors of Light and Darkness.

"They've got to be twins."

Takuya practically jumped out of his skin when Mayumi spoke, and he looked over to see that the girl was furiously glancing back and forth between the two boys. "I mean, look at them," she whispered. "They look exactly the same. The only difference is that Koji has long hair. You would expect him to mention it to us though. I think that this is kind of important, you know?"

Takuya hesitated before letting out a sigh. "I'm honestly not sure that they were aware of it... Koji told me that there was something going on between them, but he didn't know that something was happening until after he and Malkakomon started sharing memories during an earlier fight. He didn't seem to understand what was happening. If Koichi was aware of it, then he was the only one out of the two to know that something was going on before the fighting started," he told the rest of the group.

"What are we supposed to do then?" Chihiro questioned with a bitter frown. "We need to figure out what's going on here if we're going to march on Rose Morning Star to get rid of Cherubimon. We can't risk them not getting along in case they wind up having to cooperate further down the line."

"I'm sure that they'll go to each other eventually," Hinoka said softly. "They simply have to. If they really are brothers, then they have to find a way to work this out, especially if they weren't aware of this before now."

"We don't have time to wait around for that though," Saki sighed. There was no malice in their voice despite their clear intentions to correct Hinoka. "Somebody has to get them both in line. Any volunteers?"

Saki's blunt yet tactical nature caught Takuya by surprise, and the same seemed to apply to the rest of the group. Junpei's eyes narrowed in their direction, but he showed no further signs of frustration. Takuya looked away from Junpei to try and evaluate the thoughts of the rest of the team, praying that at least one of them would decide to try and fix things. Takuya would have volunteered, but he knew that he didn't have the tact to saying anything close to what the brothers needed to hear.

"I'll do it," Patamon suddenly declared. He flew away from Bokomon before any of them had the chance to object. His wings took his round little body over to Koji, and Patamon's legs made waddling motions as he moved closer to the Warrior of Light. Takuya blinked to make sure that he was seeing everything properly, but he didn't make any moves to keep Patamon from interfering.

Maybe Patamon was going to be their saving grace after all. He was kind and cheery enough to break through even Koji's shell, and he meant a lot to the Legendary Warriors. Takuya hoped that Patamon knew what he was doing as the orange creature settled down to talk to Koji about all that had taken place.

Koji didn't notice that Patamon was coming his way until after the orange Digimon had settled down on the table in front of him. He pulled his hand away from the table to examine Patamon in full, taking in every detail of the creature's wide blue eyes. He wanted to ask what Patamon was doing there, but he already knew the answer, and there was no point in wasting time questioning him on it.

"Do you want to talk to him?" Patamon asked, cutting right to the chase without a moment of hesitation. He didn't need to look over to Koichi for Koji to know exactly who he was talking about. Everyone knew it. Koji could feel the eyes of the rest of the team, but he didn't spare them a moment of his attention, too focused on Patamon to bother.

Koji hesitated before sighing and nodding. "I want to hear what he has to say. He clearly knows something, and... I need answers," he murmured. In a way, he was lying to himself and Patamon on the subject though. Koji was just as curious as to who Koichi was as a person as he was desperate for answers. He was fascinated in both of the subjects, but he didn't have the slightest idea as to how he was supposed to pose this prompt to Koichi.

"You aren't going to be able to get answers from him until after you get up and decide to talk to him about what's going on," Patamon pointed out with a light smile. "I bet that he wants to talk to you too but is just too scared to. Why don't you go on and ask if he wants to hear about everything that's happened?"

Koji took in another deep breath, trying to convince himself that everything was going to be alright. Patamon wouldn't intentionally lead him astray. What was he so afraid of in the first place? Koichi was his brother as far as he could tell. He had already put he pieces together, and he understood the gravity of their connection. Why couldn't he just go over there and talk everything out like he should have done from the start?

Koji slowly slid himself out of the bench he was sitting on in the booth, and Patamon continued to grin up at him. "Thanks, Patamon," he murmured, trying to banish his nerves about how awkward this was going to be. Koji wasn't used to talking to people his age in the slightest due to how antisocial he was, and if not for the rest of the group, he never would have had an idea about how to interact with others. In theory, he could pull it off, but putting it into practice was a different story.

Patamon flew in the space behind Koji's shoulder as the Warrior of Light passed by the rest of the group. Once again, he could feel their eyes, and he was fully aware that he was being watched without even needing to look over at them. Patamon settled down in Bokomon's arms once he was sure that Koji was going to continue on to see his brother as promised. Koji tried not to lose his nerve under the influence of the countless eyes watching his every move.

Koichi didn't seem to notice Koji at first, too lost in his own thoughts to see that the other boy had arrived. It was only when Koji cast a long shadow over Koichi's line of sight that the Warrior of Darkness was snapped from his daze long enough to notice that he had company. He practically jumped out of his seat in surprise before managing to compose himself a fraction of a moment later.

Koichi was still as a statue for a moment before a light smile appeared on his face. Koji could see right through the paper-thin attempts at confidence though, and he was fully aware of just how terrified Koichi was deep down. "Um... Is there something you need?" Koichi questioned. His aura was just as awkward and unreadable as Koji knew his was, and he allowed himself to take slight solace in the knowledge that he wasn't the only one who had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do.

Koji nodded before sliding himself into the bench opposite from Koichi. He clasped his hands together before setting them down on the table. He forced himself to meet Koichi's eyes, trying not to think about how strange it was to look at a face that was so similar to his own. "I... I want to know the truth about us," he said. He sounded far more firm than he felt, and his stomach did a backflip just to prove the sentiment true.

Koichi nodded slowly before looking down, distracting himself by focusing on the way that his fingers rested in a gentle crossing pattern before his torso. "Should I start from the beginning?" he asked softly. He already knew the answer, but he still found himself checking.

"Yeah... That would be best," Koji answered. He was already sure that he had a road map of how this story was going to end, but he figured that it would be for the best if he got reassurance that he was correct in his theorizing. Koichi was the only person who would be able to unlock this truth for them. Heaven knew that Kousei wasn't going to be willing to put the pieces together for him.

Koichi took a moment to inhale before letting out his breath slowly. "We were born as twins sixteen years ago," he started, his words barely above a whisper. Koji had to lean in slightly to hear him, not wanting to force Koichi to talk any louder than necessary. He trusted the rest of the group to not eavesdrop, but Koji almost felt as if he was finding out some forbidden secret that the universe hated him for discovering. To him, it felt as wrong as it did right, and he didn't know how he was supposed to feel about it.

"There was a messy divorce between our parents, and our father took you while I went with our mother," Koichi continued. "I was told about the divorce, but I never knew exactly who our father was. I didn't know that I had a brother either... Thinking about it tore up my mother inside, so she simply didn't talk about it much. It wasn't until recently that I learned the truth about you existing. I always knew about our father, but... You were a different story."

Koji had to resist the urge to give in to the rage that was quickly spreading throughout his core. Koichi had been told that their parents had divorce, and even if Koji was cut from the story, at least Koichi had received something that resembled honesty from his guardian. Koji had been lied to for as long as he could remember because Kousei didn't want to acknowledge the past. He knew that blowing up at Koichi out of anger towards their father wasn't going to help anyone, but he was certainly in the mood to exchange a handful of choice words with their father as soon as he returned to Earth. He doubted the sting of such powerful bitterness was going to be fading anytime soon, and it made an uncomfortable home in the pit of his stomach.

Koichi kept talking, likely because he was trying to drown out the anger that was trying to bubble to the surface inside of Koji. Koichi was perceptive enough to see it, and he was trying to calm his worries before anything could get worse. "Our maternal grandmother passed away recently, and she explained to me that you existed. I decided that I was going to find out more about you, but... It didn't go as well as I was hoping," he murmured.

Suddenly, it wasn't just Koji who was overflowing with rage. Koichi was hiding it far better, using a mask of falsified smile and oceanic eyes to seem as if there weren't jagged shadows trying to push their way to the surface. Koji knew exactly what Koichi was thinking; he could still feel the anger that had threatened to rip him limb from limb when they first shared memories.

"I tried to find you, and I saw that you were with our father," Koichi began, sounding far more calm than he felt. "I could tell that you were unhappy with what was happening, but... He seemed so glad to have abandoned me and our mother to move on and make a new life. I should have been glad that he was able to find happiness, but... I couldn't do it. He didn't do anything as our mother was falling apart at the seams. Mom had to push herself day in and day out just to keep us afloat, and he was living in luxury without even giving us a second glance after he found someone he liked better... I was just so upset, and... I didn't know what to do with myself."

"I was never happy with him either," Koji admitted. "He told me all along that our mother died in a car accident. He never mentioned that you existed. He moved on so easily from what I was told was death, and I hated him for it. He found a new lover, and he left all memories of our mother behind. I couldn't help but be mad at him. I was never allowed to grieve for what could have been, and... He was the one who took it all away in the first place."

"I... I was planning on reaching out to you the day that we went to the train station," Koichi admitted softly. "I didn't want to have to be alone anymore. Mom was stressed enough trying to keep us alive, but... I had the chance to get to know you. I wanted to, but I needed to do it when our father wasn't around. I don't know how I would have responded upon seeing him again, but... I know that it wouldn't have been good. I was trying to find you, but... It failed, and I never reached you."

"Cherubimon did first," Koji murmured, unable to look up at Koichi no matter how hard he tried. "I wish that we had been able to see each other sooner. I'm sure that my life would have been a lot better if I had someone like you in it."

Koichi was surprised at first, and his eyes went wide with his stunned confusion. He seemed to be trying to speak, but he was never able to fully close the silence with his words, so Koji went on instead. "You hate our father too, and we found each other. That has to count for something, right? Even if we weren't able to connect while growing up, we can make the most of the time that we've got together now... And if our father ever tries to pull us apart again, he's going to face hell," Koji went on, his fingers clenching into a tight fist.

Koji tried to suppress the anger that was rising steadily inside of his core once again, but he couldn't do it. His hatred towards his father was one thing, but Koichi's sympathy seemed to add a new dimension to the justified rage. If what Koichi said was correct, and Koji knew it was, Kousei had left Koichi to suffer with their mother with no hope of salvation in sight. Koji hadn't thought that he could dislike Kousei more than he already did, and yet, Koichi was there to prove him wrong.

Koichi nodded once he was able to gather his bearings after Koji spoke. "I... I'm sure that Mom would love to meet you," he said softly. "She's a sensitive person, and... I think that she misses you. She never mentioned that you existed to me, but I think that was because it hurt too much to think about. Even if our father was terrible to her, you were still a child at the time."

Koji couldn't help but smile at the mention of their mother. His anger slowly dissipated, and warmth spread throughout his body, a natural glow rather than a raging inferno. "I'd love to meet her too," Koji murmured. He never would have imagined that he would be given this chance, but he wasn't going to pass up on it. For so many years, he had longed to meet Tomoko, and at long last, he was going to be able to understand who she was rather than merely admiring the reflection she left behind in his head.

"I'll have to come by sometime then," Koji whispered, finding himself far happier with the outcome than he ever anticipated. He had been so worried about talking to Koichi, and yet, it was going incredibly.

"The Kimura household welcomes you," Koichi replied, a light laugh leaving his lips. He sounded like an angel, as if a chorus of bells followed the gentle giggle. Unlike Koji, who had been left jagged and sharpened by the ways of the world, Koichi was soft and delicate, barely held together yet still making his life into a work of art. Koichi was passive and calm, almost like a thin veil of peace that fell upon all of Koji's worst habits.

Koji found himself following up on the laughter. Koichi's joy was infectious, and Koji's shoulders lost their tension in the blink of an eye. He was still confused and uncertain about what was to come next, but he thought that he was going to be alright. Koji had no experience with being a brother, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to try. The rest of the group likely had advice for him, and if he was willing to ask, chances were they would be happy to answer.

Still, for the time being, Koji didn't give them much of his attention. Instead, he simply allowed himself to laugh along with his brother. All traces of his burning anger had subsided, slipping back into the darkest shadows that existed in Koji's mind. Only light and happiness existed in the aftermath of its retreat, and the sound of laughter and ringing bells sang like a gentle chorus in his empty ears and full heart. In a way, it was ironic how Koji was the Warrior of Light while Koichi possessed the element of Darkness. If Koji didn't know any better, he surely would have suspected that the opposite was true.

After all, Koichi was already proving himself to be a source of light in Koji's life, and it almost seemed as if there had been a mixup in the heavens of the Digital World for such a lovely person with a heart of gold and sunshine to possess the power of such shadow.

Koji and Koichi wound up talking for a bit longer before the former decided to excuse himself to speak with the rest of the team. Koichi seemed disappointed with Koji's departure for a fraction of a second before forcing himself to look as if he didn't mind a moment later. He wished Koji good luck before returning to his previous business of looking down at the table before himself. Koji tried to beat away the guilt that rose in his throat, knowing that he would be able to do more for Koichi after he figured out how he was supposed to handle this situation.

The walk over to the remainder of the Legendary Warriors was excruciating despite only being a few yards. Koji swallowed back his nerves as he realized that they were all examining him with curiosity gleaming in their eyes. There were a thousand questions they had but were leaving up to the imagination, and he let out a sigh before speaking. "I need your advice," he declared. Part of him wanted to sit down to keep himself from pacing, but in the end, he couldn't force himself to do it. In fact, it wasn't until after Izumi slid further into her seat at a booth to make room for him that he decided to settle down, not wanting to offend her by not following up on the offer.

None of the Legendary Warriors asked him what he wanted to know about, seeming to understand exactly what had him so clueless. Koji found himself explaining regardless. "I don't know anything about what it's like to be a brother," he admitted. "I was always raised alone, and it's not like I had anybody to ask about this sort of thing... What am I supposed to do? He needs my help, but I don't know how to provide it."

"Being a sibling is something you'll just have to get used to after a while," Takuya started off by saying, a light shrug passing through his shoulders. "I get along really well with my younger brother. He can be a bit of a punk sometimes, but we care about each other, and I think that's what matters most."

"Communication is important," Izumi said, and Koji couldn't help but wonder with slight snark if she was referring to a familial connection or a relationship. "You should make sure to talk to one another if anything is on your mind that could have an impact on them. It makes things a lot easier in the long run, and it's easy to trust somebody who cares so much about you. I know that you didn't have a brother in your life until now, but... I'm sure that you'll understand it all soon enough."

"I didn't always have a sibling either," Mayumi declared next, swinging an arm around Haroi's shoulder. "Our parents didn't get together until we were a bit older, so I guess that we could tell you a few things about it... Haroi, you're better at this whole advice thing. What do you have to say?"

Haroi hesitated, considering his words carefully before speaking. "Well... Communication is important just like Izumi said, and love ties you together no matter what like Takuya mentioned. I'm sure that the circumstances here will make it hard for you two to bond quickly, but... I'm sure that you can do it. Find something that you have in common and go from there. When I first met Mayumi, we didn't know that our parents were going to wind up marrying one another. We simply started talking a let the conversation flow from there," he told Koji gently.

"I'm sure that your brother will treat you far better than Yutaka treats me, so I don't know if there's much for me to say on the subject," Tomoki admitted. "Koichi seems really nice, so I suppose that you'll just have to be careful of one another's boundaries. As long as you're kind to one another, you shouldn't have any issues."

"Most siblings fight from time to time, but I doubt that's going to be a problem with you two. I mean, you seem mature enough to talk out your problems when you're struggling," Takuya commented. "As long as you're careful not to screw it up, you should be fine. Besides, you're far too cautious to completely change everything over something petty, so... In all honesty, I wouldn't be too worried about it if I were you."

"Haroi and I aren't just siblings, you know," Mayumi began, still smiling to herself. "We're best friends too. It's nice to have that sort of connection with somebody, and I bet that you'll be able to establish that bond in no time. Don't worry too much about it, Koji. You'll get there soon enough, and when you do, you'll wonder how you ever could have doubted yourself."

Koji nodded slowly with each new piece of advice, and he felt his lips sliding into a smile of relief. "Thanks for this, everyone," he murmured. "I don't know what I would do about all of this if I didn't have your help."

"You don't need to thank us for it," Izumi assured him with a shake of her head. "We're more than happy to help. Besides, we all mean it when we say that you can handle this. If you wind up having other questions, all you need to do is reach out, and we'll do what we can to help you again."

Koji nodded once again, more confidently this time, before closing his eyes. "Alright," he said softly. Everything was moving too quickly for him, a constant whirlwind of activity that he didn't seem to be able to escape. There was so much happening with each passing second, and it was overwhelming in ways that he never would have expected. He had thought he was prepared for this war in the beginning, and yet, he had discovered that such was far from being his reality.

And yet, he wasn't anywhere near as worried about it as one would have expected him to be. Koji should have been crumbling under the pressure, but that wasn't a concern in the slightest. Rather than bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders alone, he was allowing others to ease his burden, and it felt incredible. He wasn't alone the way that he had thought he was for so many years, and he didn't think that he would ever be able to go back to the way that he had been before.

Koji looked up at Koichi and saw that Patamon had flown over to speak with his brother when he wasn't paying attention. He took in a slow, steady breath as he thought about how lonely Koichi must have been as well. He could simply sense that there was something more going on beneath the surface that Koichi refused to show the rest of the world.

But Koji wasn't going to let him deal with it alone. Koji was going to do his best to be there for Koichi from that point out, and he knew that the rest of the Legendary Warriors were going to do the same thing. They were a team, after all, and the weight of the world wasn't as debilitating as it otherwise could have been as long as they were together. Koichi didn't understand it yet, but Koji was going to make sure that he knew that he wasn't alone no matter what the future brought.

After all, what else were brothers for?

Koichi had been lost in his thoughts ever since Koji walked away, staring at the flow of the wood on the table in front of him. He almost seemed ready to count the different lines in the material, but he didn't fully start numbering them off. His vision was going fuzzy as he lost a sense of concentration.

Koji was speaking with the rest of the Legendary Warriors, but Koichi couldn't help but wonder selfishly why Koji had to leave. Koichi knew that he didn't deserve Koji's kindness, but he couldn't help longing for it. He didn't deserve the care that any of the Legendary Warriors had to grant him, and yet, there they were granting it. He felt awful for everything that he had done, and he wished that there was something more that he could do to make up for the actions of the past.

Koichi's memory from after he entered the Digital World was a blur. In fact, he wasn't even entirely sure of how he had wound up on the other side. At first, he had been sure that he was dead. The last thing Koichi remembered was running down the stairs, and after that, everything went black. When his vision next returned to him, he was suspended in a void, and Cherubimon's hands were cupped beneath his limp body. Cherubimon said that Koichi was going to be his best creation yet, and then the shadows came up to seize him without hesitation.

Then came Duskmon. Koichi's memories had been locked away, but he didn't even seem to care about the way that he couldn't remember the past. It seemed like a trivial issue when it was compared to the power that he possessed. Cherubimon had given him enough strength to kill all those who dared to stand in his path, and he had been thankful for it. There was no other way for him to live.

The other Legendary Warriors had been manipulated. He was sure of that much. Koichi was able to see fragments of the Fallen Warriors in the others who had been purified. He could see the stubborn determination of Aeoelmon in Chihiro, the anchoring force that could weather any storm. He could see the kindness and humanity that breathed inside of Fioremon when he looked to the graceful Yumiko. He could see the fragility and humility of Oceaniamon as he watched Hinoka, understanding that her show of weakness was in truth a display of strength. He could see Lyramon's intelligence and sharp wit in Saki's reflective gaze, and he was fully aware that they were in control of every situation that they found themselves in.

There were pieces of their Fallen Warrior forms inside of them. Koichi was different though. He hadn't simply been manipulated; he had been corrupted. He was a different person when he was taken over by Duskmon, and he had simply allowed it all to happen. He knew that there was no way he could have fought back. Realistically, he was aware that he couldn't have changed what Cherubimon planned for him. Despite all of this though, Koichi couldn't help but blame himself, detesting the person that he had become for that short period of time.

It wasn't until after he heard Koji's name that everything came flooding back. He was unstable as soon as he realized that he had a connection to the Warrior of Light. His memories were still shifty and didn't seem to want to cooperate with him, but he was able to grasp onto something and chase it. Cherubimon said that Koji was the one who was responsible for the pain that pressed him forward, and he believed it. Cherubimon had spoken a convenient lie that turned into the only sad, beautiful truth that Koichi could cling to. He believed it because he didn't have anything else to believe in.

Duskmon still seemed to live somehow. Koichi wasn't sure of how he knew it, but he was positive that Duskmon wasn't gone just because he had been purified. It was a strange sensation, as Koichi couldn't sense Duskmon as a part of him anymore, and yet, he knew that the Warrior of Darkness was still out there. He didn't know how to describe it, but he was positive that there was a part of Duskmon that still wandered the Digital World the same way he once had: aimless, suffering, violent, unpredictable, wild.

Koichi didn't understand how everyone could simply go on about life as if this was normal. He was the one throwing up the haphazard boundaries to keep everyone out. They wanted to reach out to him the same way that Koji had, but Koichi knew that he didn't deserve it. He had been corrupted and turned into a murderous monster. He had killed Sorcermon right before all of their eyes at Evergreen Dawn, and he had liked it. Koichi hated the idea since he had come to his senses, but he knew that, as he slashed his sword through Sorcermon's body, he had enjoyed it, taken pride in the way that his blade cleaved so effortlessly through a living creature.

Why was everyone being so nice to him? Koichi didn't deserve it. How was he the only one to see this? To him, it made sense with stunning clarity that he wasn't worthy of their kindness, and yet, there all of them were, watching him with concerned gazes and curious minds. Koichi couldn't bring himself to look up at them, knowing that he would begin to cry at the mere concept of them caring so much for him. He didn't even know them, and yet, they were capable of such love. He didn't understand it in the slightest.

"It isn't your fault, you know."

Patamon was flying a few inches in front of Koichi's face, and the Warrior of Darkness had to wonder how he hadn't noticed the small creature's arrival. He blinked in surprise as Patamon settled down on the table. Koichi's stomach twisted when he realized that Patamon was Seraphimon's reincarnation. Lyramon had once said that Seraphimon wouldn't remember what happened when he was reborn because his Fractal Code had been absorbed. Koichi almost thought that this was a sign of mercy; Seraphimon didn't deserve to remember being murdered. He didn't know if Saki could return Patamon's memories to him, but Koichi thought that perhaps it was for the best if Patamon continued living his life in blissful ignorance of the person he had once been.

Still, the cruel irony of the situation sat uncomfortably with Koichi, and he didn't know how to speak at first. He processed Patamon's words slowly, rolling each syllable in his head multiple times. Patamon was saying that it wasn't his fault, but did he truly understand what he was implying? Koichi had been fighting against him up until so recently, and Patamon could have been seriously hurt along the way. The people that Patamon cared for had suffered greatly because of his actions. Cherubimon might have been partially responsible, but Koichi had allowed himself to be strung along as a lifeless puppet. His kindness had been turned into brutality in a transformation so seamless that he didn't even recognize it until he looked back with hindsight on his mind.

"You were being used by Cherubimon, and you're not the only one who that happened to," Patamon assured Koichi, not seeming to notice that the boy was frozen in his anxiety. "We still care about them all though, and we care about you too. I know that you're not used to talking to us yet, but you should try to reach out every once in a while. We're happy to have you here."

Koichi still didn't understand what Patamon was saying. He knew that the words were far from being empty, but he couldn't help but think of them as merely hollow phrases to try and console his worst fears. Koichi's stomach twisted, and he wondered what he could have ever done to deserve such kindness from Patamon or any of the other Legendary Warriors. He was a monster. Why was he the only one who seemed to understand this?

"I mean it," Patamon continued, his eyes set as something stubborn. "You should talk to us about everything that's happened. I'm sure that you want to be able to be our friend, but you can only do that if you open up. Even if you feel guilty, you don't need to. We don't hate you for what happened."

What a cruel twist of irony this was. Koichi couldn't help but feel bitter that Patamon was the Digimon to tell him this. Out of all the people who could have said that this wasn't his fault, it had to be Patamon. Koichi had killed Patamon's advisor without a moment of hesitation, and he had enjoyed the rush of adrenaline and bloodlust that came with the act of monstrosity. Koichi felt sick at the idea of Patamon treating him so well. Why was everyone being so nice to him? What had he done to deserve them? Was there even a quantity for the penance needed to pay reparations for his sins?

"But I don't deserve this," Koichi eventually managed to make himself say. "I was terrible to you all, and I did so much to hurt you. How can you even stand to look at me after all that I did to you and the Legendary Warriors?"

"The others didn't think that they deserved it either," Patamon pointed out. "Yumiko didn't talk to us for a long time after she was purified because she didn't think that she was worthy of us, but that's not true. Hinoka and Saki did it too. You aren't the only one who felt this way, but look at them. They're happy with the rest of the group, and you should be too. Don't keep yourself away from us because you don't think that you deserve us, because you do."

Koichi could feel tears rising in his eyes, and he let one hand rise to scrub at his face. "I don't know what to say," he murmured. He wanted to protest, to say that Patamon had no idea what he was talking about, but he couldn't bring himself to. The words simply wouldn't form, so he simply sat there as a lump formed in the back of his throat. He knew he was going to start crying if he was given the chance to fully express himself.

"Why don't you let us in?" Patamon questioned, tilting his head to the side slightly. His eyes were the epitome of innocence, something so perfectly curious and childlike that it was almost painful to see. He had once been a god, and yet, there he was, doing everything that he could to comfort Koichi.

The Warrior of Darkness was able to let out a fleeting breath, but it quickly gave way to a sob. "Thank you, Patamon," he whispered. He reached one hand out to cup Patamon's face in his fingers, and the small Digimon curled up against his grasp with a light smile. Koichi gently scratched at the place behind Patamon's left ear using his right hand, and tears began to freely stream down his cheeks. Unlike before, Koichi made no efforts to fight them back though, and he simply allowed himself to cry.

"You should come and talk to everyone," Patamon suggested, continuing to nuzzle his face against Koichi's hand with a gentle smile. "I think that it would help you out a lot. They want to get to know you too, so why don't you open up to them?"

Koichi allowed himself to let out one more sob, and he used his free hand to wipe away his tears, not wanting to look like too much of a mess when he inevitably went over to speak with the rest of the Legendary Warriors. He didn't think he would ever be able to express how thankful he was to Patamon for his kindness. It was incredible how easily the orange Digimon was able to shatter the walls that Koichi had established.

Suddenly, Koichi's entire body was cast in shadow, and he let out a gasp before looking off to his right, seeing that a person had come to stand above him. He could tell by the color of the jacket that it was Koji, and when Koichi scanned his eyes up, he saw that his suspicions were correct. The Warrior of Light was looking down at him with concern in his gaze, but it somehow felt foreign when placed on Koji. Koichi could tell that his brother was a distant, hardened person left to fend for himself when placed on a battlefield against the ways of the world. It was likely just as new for Koichi as it was for Koji regarding the way that the Warrior of Light was openly displaying such vulnerabilities.

"Are you okay?" Koji questioned, tilting his head to the side with a light frown. He had finished his business with the rest of the team, though Koichi didn't want to ask for details about what Koji's discussion had centered around. Besides, he was able to guess pretty easily that it had something to do with the connection that they had uncovered earlier that day.

Koichi was caught by surprise upon hearing Koji's words at first, but he wasn't frozen on the spot for long. Instead, he allowed a smile to form on his lips, and it was the most honest thing that he had done since arriving in the Digital World. The lump in his throat subsided, and Koichi could feel his tears drying already. He swiped his arm across his face one more time just to make sure that there wasn't any lingering liquid on his cheeks.

Koichi nodded in response to Koji's inquiry, and he watched as Koji sent one hand out to take Koichi's fingers between his own. Koichi glanced down to Patamon, and the orange Digimon nodded to confirm that this was for him. Koichi pulled his hand away from Patamon's head, and he allowed his fingers to slip effortlessly into the grasp of his brother.

"Yeah," Koichi whispered, and he meant it. He was used to having to hide his emotions, knowing his bad habits all too well but not being aware of how to stop them. In spite of all that though, Koichi was more than able to accept the care of his brother in that moment. In fact, the idea brought a smile to his face, and he was beyond relieved to have been given this chance.

It was a second opportunity to be the person that he longed to be. The Digital World had not brought him death; instead, it had granted him a new life that he never thought he needed until that very moment, and he loved it.

If Bokomon was being perfectly honest, none of this made any sense.

He had been looking through the book about the Legendary Warriors for quite some time. As soon as he was able to calm his nerves regarding what was happening with Koji and Koichi, he turned his full attention towards looking through the book. After all, there was still something that bothered him about what had happened recently, and he was determined to find the answers.

Duskmon had never been found within the pages of the book. For some reason, there was no information on him, leaving the Legendary Warriors fumbling in the dark for quite a while as they tried to learn what was happening with him. Bokomon had been given more than enough time to flick through the pages of the book, and yet, he still hadn't found anything involving Duskmon. As a matter of fact, there was no information on Velgemon or Malkakomon either. Everything involved with the Legendary Warrior of Darkness was a mystery to him, and he had no idea how to unravel all of the moving parts.

Bokomon knew that he wasn't the only one struggling with this either. As soon as he pulled out his book, Haroi did the same with Ophanimon's volume. He offered Saki the chance to investigate Cherubimon's book since it had been in their care prior to the fallout when Ceruleamon first appeared. Saki had accepted, and the three spent the free time they shared from then on to try and find the answers about what was happening with Koichi.

Duskmon was still strange to all of them. There wasn't an easy way to unravel the truth about what was going on with the Warrior of Darkness. If he was a Legendary Warrior, he should have been found within the book, and yet, he wasn't there. It didn't make any sense to Bokomon, and when he explained the predicament to Haroi and Saki, he found that they were struggling with the same issue. They decided to collectively dedicate time to looking through their respective books in the search for answers.

Unfortunately, they hadn't yet found anything of value. Bokomon felt as if he had been at it for ages, but there wasn't anything notable that stuck out to him. He was starting to get frustrated, but he knew that getting mad at the book wasn't going to help. He had to stay calm and think about this rationally. If there truly wasn't any information inside of the book about Duskmon, then he was going to have to look at this a different way.

If Duskmon wasn't in the book, why was information about him absent? The volume supposedly contained information about all of the Legendary Warriors, and yet, Duskmon was absent. The only conclusion that made sense to Bokomon was that Duskmon truliy wasn't part of the Legendary Warriors.

But that didn't make any sense. If Duskmon wasn't a Legendary Warrior, why was he the form that Koichi had taken when he was forced into combat by Cherubimon? They hadn't seen any traces of the Legendary Warrior of Darkness if Duskmon wasn't the Warrior in question. It simply didn't work given the other pieces of the puzzle that had been provided. This theory only created more questions than answers, and Bokomon unfortunately wasn't able to unravel the truth behind any of them.

"I don't get it," Saki muttered, seeming to have come to the same confusing conclusions as Bokomon. They were still flipping through the pages of Cherubimon's book, and something oddly bitter had formed in their eyes. It was still clearly hiding something far deeper, and Bokomon was left to wonder just how much of that silent resentment was truly real.

"There has to be a logical explanation for this," Haroi said next, acting as the voice of reason just like always. His tone was measured and careful as he flipped to the next page of the book. Suddenly, a frown appeared on his face, and he fell silent before he could continue to speak.

Bokomon was about to ask questions about it, but a gasp from Saki quickly captured his attention first. He saw that they had stopped on a specific page of the book, and they quickly angled the volume over so that Bokomon and Haroi could both see it. There was a clear image on the page, and the regular scrawled writing could be found everywhere else.

The picture was of a man wearing black armor. He had the appearance of a lion while still maintaining human shape. A staff was in his hand, and a shield hung from his other arm. The symbol of the Legendary Warrior of Darkness was in the corner of the page beside the name of the monster.

Bokomon's eyes went wide, and he was planning on saying the name of the Digimon in question. However, he was abruptly cut off when the ground began to shake once again. He instinctively jumped back and slammed Serpahimon's book shut before tucking it back into its regular place. Patamon flew onto his head soon afterwards from where he had been with Koichi and Koji in another area of the restaurant. Bokomon threw one hand out to grab at Neemon's arm before dashing outside, dragging the other Digimon along with him. Neemon let out a lazy cry before allowing himself to be pulled outside of the building.

Bokomon wasn't the only one to make his way outside though. In fact, the rest of the party was quick to follow his lead to get away from the station as soon as possible. The building didn't appear to be at risk of collapsing or anything similar, but the idea that something could have been out there was unsettling. It seemed as if none of them could escape the lingering nerves that came with being in the Continent of Darkness.

As the Legendary Warriors fully made their way out of the building, the source of the trembling ground became clear. Bokomon glanced up and saw that there was a figure standing nearby, pure rage burning in his eyes. Bokomon let out a gasp as Neemon screeched, and they both retreated to the back of the party in vain hopes to keep them safe. Patamon let out a nervous whine from the top of Bokomon's head.

It was Duskmon.

Bokomon's mind was immediately racing with questions as to how this was possible. They had purified Koichi, so Duskmon shouldn't have been around anymore. This hadn't happened with the rest of the Legendary Warriors, so what made Duskmon so special? Bokomon's theories about Duskmon not being a true Legendary Warrior were starting to make more sense, but he still felt as if he was missing a crucial piece to the puzzle.

The rest of the Legendary Warriors appeared to be stunned silent as well. There weren't any words to describe how confused they were, and it wasn't until Koji took a small step forward that the silence seemed to shatter. "What are you doing here?" Koji questioned, though the real inquiry seemed to be about how Duskmon was there. Bokomon's mind was sprinting at a million miles an hour to try and rationalize how this all worked, but he still found himself falling short when there wasn't enough information to pull the full image of the answer into focus.

"That's not the true Warrior of Darkness," Saki suddenly said when Duskmon didn't answer. The rest of the group turned to face them in confusion, and Saki shook their head. "It's true. Somehow, Duskmon is a separate entity from Koichi, so we're going to have to get rid of him on our own."

"Let's Spirit Evolve and take him out then!" Takuya declared. He pulled his D-Tector from its place around his waist and pressed down on the activation button, prompting two rings of data to appear around his fingers. Bokomon had to admit that he didn't know why Takuya wasn't trying to summon his Hybrid form given that he had that power. If Koji had the ability to use his Hybrid form, that likely meant that Takuya and Haroi did as well. They couldn't afford to hold back against Duskmon, so Bokomon thought that it would be for the best if Takuya aimed higher. He would have said such if he was able to make himself speak in the stressful situation.

"I have to be the one to take care of this," Koichi announced, and the group turned to face him as Duskmon took a lifeless step forward. Koichi locked his gaze onto Duskmon, trying to seem more confident than he was. "Duskmon is my problem, and I need to be the one to get rid of him. He's here because of me, and I don't want any of you to get hurt in the process of taking him out."

Bokomon was surprised upon hearing Koichi's words, but his shock seemed like nothing when compared to Koji's raw reaction. "You can't do that," Koji announced, looking at Koichi with devastated eyes. "I don't care what you say. We're going to do what we can to help you. We have to get rid of Duskmon as soon as possible so that we can go and get rid of Cherubimon. Everyone, Spirt Evolve!"

Despite Koichi's request, the rest of the group followed Koji's command, and the glow of Fractal Code covered the area as the transformations began. Bokomon held tightly to Neemon's arms as he watched this all unfold, trying to resist the urge to backpedal into the train station. He had gotten used to brushing closely with combat, but the helplessness that came with battle had never quite disappeared. Bokomon wasn't a fighter, so all he could do was sit back and watch. It was bothersome, to say the least.

Koichi was the only one who hadn't Spirit Evolved by this point, and he frowned tightly as Beast Spirits and Hybrid forms appeared throughout the area. He took in a measured breath before reaching for the pocket of his worn jeans. He pulled out his D-Tector, and Bokomon was finally able to glimpse the black device in its full glory. Koichi seemed to understand how it functioned despite having never used it before, and he pressed his finger against the activation button. A single ring of data began to circle his fingers, and Koichi scanned the code on the sensor at the top of the device.

Koichi's form began to change, and when the Fractal Code faded, Bokomon was left to stare at the Spirit's new body. The single ring of Fractal Code indicated that this was a Human Spirit rather than a Beast Spirit or Hybrid form since those used two and three circles to transform respectively. Bokomon let out a gasp as he realized just who this was, his mind cast back to the picture that he had seen on the page of Cherubimon's book about the Legendary Warriors not long before.

He had black armor, and his chest, shoulders, and knees contained patterns that resembled lions. All five of the beasts had piercing red eyes, and the lions on his shoulders had their mouths wide open to show ruby plates inside. The rest of his body was covered in black armor lined with gold. His lower arms had pieces of yellow at his elbows and wrists. Stripes of yellow went down the front of his lower legs, and a strip of the same color covered the top of his feet. Three claws of the golden shade stuck out from the front of his shoes.

His head was mostly covered in the same armor, and only his eyes could be seen. His eyes were a muted red color, nowhere near as bright as the crimson found elsewhere on his body. A mask covered the lower half of his face in black lined with yellow. The Warrior's head was completely engulfed by another piece of lion armor, and the mouth offered a hole for his actual face. A yellow mane spread outwards from the top and back of his helmet.

The Warrior's left hand had a staff in it. The weapon was ornate, covered in black and yellow that rose up the hilt in a pattern of incredible swirls. The top of the staff was silver and had three prongs that surrounded a central pillar of gray. He had a shield with the face of a lion hanging off his right arm. It was lightly transparent and seemed to be made for actually tanking attacks rather than deflecting them the way that Lyramon's shield was.

"Lowemon!"

Bokomon recognized that name as soon as he heard it, and he knew that it was the same set of syllables that he had read at the top of the page back in the station. The symbol of the Warrior of Darkness could be seen at the waist segment of the newcomer, and Bokomon knew without a doubt that this was the true Legendary Warrior that they had been searching for.

Bokomon did his best to shove aside his questions about how this was even possible as he watched Lowemon take a step forward. The rest of the Legendary Warriors seemed surprised about his arrival. For the first time, Onyxmon even showed open surprise on their features, all previous reservations about hiding the truth of their emotions seemingly tossed aside. It was a jarring shift, but Bokomon couldn't say that he hated it in the slightest.

"You shouldn't be here," Lowemon whispered, making it clear that he was addressing Duskmon as he stepped towards his previous incarnation. He raised his staff and pointed it at his foe as his eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't know how this is happening, but I won't let you continue to bring grief to our lives."

Duskmon let out a breath, but it sounded somehow stilted and distant, as if it wasn't real somehow. The shadows around him began to dance, and they were tinted with a scarlet that matched the color of blood. Duskmon's hand was replaced with a curved blade, and he pointed it towards Lowemon without a moment of hesitation. He didn't say anything, but the threat that a battle was coming hung heavily in the silence.

Lowemon understood exactly what Duskmon was trying to get across, and he took another step forward as well. The air was thick with tension, and nobody dared to move, almost as if they feared they would instantly be struck down for daring to interfere with the duel of darkness. Bokomon could do nothing but stare, trying to ignore the way that the idea of running back to the station was still incredibly appealing. He was cut off from departing a moment later as Lowemon and Duskmon rushed towards one another, weapons stretched forward.

The battle was starting, and none of them would be able to stop it.


Since Koichi is part of the team now, I figured that this would be the perfect time for a character-based chapter. It really helps to understand who Koichi as a person, and since there's nothing pressing going on that keeps him from being introduced properly, I thought it would fit in perfectly. I have to say that I love the way that it turned out as a whole.

For the most part, I feel like this chapter speaks for itself. There's not much that doesn't flow naturally about this chapter. It sets up Koichi's personality well as showing how Koji is far more open with the rest of the team compared to how he was at the beginning. Plus, I was able to throw in a bit of foreshadowing about Duskmon and Lowemon, and that's always fun.

Speaking of Duskmon and Lowemon, that sure is an interesting one, isn't it? Unlike in canon, I'm dedicating a bit of time to building up this mystery and then explaining it fully. I'm looking forward to it, honestly. There are lots of hints throughout the story about what's going on with Koichi, though those familiar with the official anime are already aware of his secret. Let's just say that there's a lot more to him, Lowemon, and Duskmon than meets the eye.

The one thing about this chapter that I intentionally excluded has to do with Saki. I'm sure that some of you are thinking that this would have been the perfect chance to have Saki open up to the rest of the team, but I'm actually not saying anything about them on purpose. Part of Saki's appeal is how mysterious they are, so it's only natural that I wouldn't reveal everything right off the bat. I'm going to talk more about them later on, but for now, you're going to have to live in suspense about what makes them tick. Saki isn't a very open person by nature, so it's time for the rest of the group to deal with all of their (lying) mysterious ways. Saki isn't a bad person by any stretch of the imagination, but they definitely know how to keep things secret, and they're not above lying to keep others out of their business.

With all of that said, I think that I'm finished with this chapter's afterword. I'll see you all again next week as we get through the Lowemon vs. Duskmon duel! I hope you all enjoyed! Feedback is always appreciated! Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital