Takuya wasn't sure of how long he had been lost in his own dreadful thought process when he heard shuffling off to his right. He glanced up, snapping free of his trance, and saw that Chihiro was sliding into a seated position beside him. They removed their hat once they were sitting down, and they pulled their ponytail free before starting to run their fingers through their darkened brown hair. "You sure seem distracted," Chihiro commented. They winced upon finding a tangle in their hair, but they didn't let it deter them from their mission.

Takuya did his best to not cringe at Chihiro's words, but he failed miserably, prompting him to let out a resigned sigh. "You could certainly say that," he said softly. He leaned backwards, and his palms kept him from completely falling into the sand. "I've just been thinking about what Saki said. They seem pretty damn convinced that it isn't over even if the Royal Knights are gone."

Chihiro finished combing through their hair and slid their ponytail free of their wrist before starting to retie it back into their hair. "They're probably right," Chihiro admitted. "I don't say that because I want to, but I'm not about to try and spew some pretty words that will make this all better. I don't think that you can do that given the circumstances, and I know better than to try and fool you that way. It's not like you would have bought it in the first place."

Takuya let out a humorless chuckle as Chihiro pulled their ponytail tight and put their hat back on. "You can say that again," he agreed. He paused for a moment before pressing himself to continue. "I think that we're going to be fine no matter what happens next though. We managed to take out both Cherubimon and the Royal Knights, and we thought those were pretty damn daunting obstacles at the time. If Lucemon has anything else to throw at us, then we'll do what we can to power through that too."

"We managed to come together after we were separated by Cherubimon's influences too," Chihiro reminded him. "I don't think that we would have been able to pull that off if we weren't meant to keep fighting. I'm not one for sappy words or any of the shit related to destiny, but... We've come a long way, and we're going to keep fighting until resolution or death do us part. That much I can say pretty damn confidently."

"You're right," Takuya nodded. "I guess it's just a bit easy to be caught up in all the things that could come next as opposed to remembering how far we've come... It's strange to think that we haven't been there for so long in the grand scheme of things, but now that I've been here in the Digital World, I don't think I could imagine my life without the Spirits or being a member of the Legendary Warriors."

"That's how change works," Chihiro shrugged, adjusting their hat until it sat comfortably atop their head. "Things evolve and shift constantly, and then you can't remember what life was ever like before. I mean, you can reminisce about it all that you want, but I don't think that you'll ever be able to understand it the way that you once did. We'll never be able to comprehend how things were before we became Legendary Warriors now that we've changed, but... That isn't exactly a bad thing. I don't think we should think of it that way either."

Takuya let out a shrug. "Everybody's going to wonder what happened to us when we go back home. We're nothing like how we used to be, and people are going to pick up on that. There's no real way to explain what happened without people thinking that we're being ridiculous or lying, but... I don't think I mind it all that much."

"I wonder how much time has passed back home," Chihiro murmured. "I mean, we've been gone for so long. I doubt that people will even think of connecting us to the sudden wave of phone calls that took place the day we left. It's been so long since we were last back on Earth."

"I'm sure everything will work out fine," Takuya said, though part of him wondered if perhaps he was lying for the sake of keeping himself calm. Takuya had always been one for endless optimism, a stark contrast from Chihiro's natural bluntness.

Chihiro snorted at his words, though it was far more affectionate than one might have expected. "I'm glad to have you here," they confessed. "I don't think that anyone but you would have been able to take our ragtag group of misfits who have suffered through hell and make something out of it. You're a good leader, Takuya."

"Leader?" Takuya echoed, doing his best to stifle the bark of a laugh that threatened to rise in his throat. "I don't think I ever really considered myself to be something like that. If you ask me, Saki is way more of a leader than I ever could be. They know how to take charge and get things done. That was why Cherubimon placed them in charge of the Fallen Warriors when you were all corrupted."

"Saki is many things," Chihiro began simply. "A strong fighter? Yes. Great with tactics? Of course. An empowering leader? Not so much. Saki looks after us in their own way, but I wouldn't ever go so far as to say that they're a better leader than you are. They aren't able to rally a team like this together like you are. They're focused on results more often than not, and they don't ever utilize their own sense of empathy. That was why we spent so much time butting heads. You managed to keep things together even when it seemed like there was nothing to hope for. After Evergreen Dawn, you kept the dream of saving the Digital World alive, and you managed to pull that off. Saki wouldn't have been able to do that without your sense of optimism. When you were taken in by the Dark Trailmon, we all crumbled into despair. So, tell me, why don't you think that you're a good leader?"

Takuya was stunned silent at their words, and all he could do was blink in shock at the sudden dump of words. They made sense, but he hadn't ever considered that such a thing could be true. Chihiro's sudden sincerity surprised him given how detached they normally were from emotional matters.

Chihiro let out a playful snort of their own. "You've just proven my point," they told him. "We've all changed since coming here, and... I think that we've all started to come into our own. We're not the same people that we once were, but... We're free now. I'm better off now than I ever was back on Earth."

"I've learned a lot thanks to all of you," Takuya muttered. He nudged gently at Chihiro with his shoulder, a smile playing at his lips. "Thanks for this." He wanted to say more, but he simply couldn't bring himself to form the words.

Still, the sentiment was clearly understood, and Chihiro returned the gesture by nudging him in return. The two dissolved into quiet yet jubilant laughter, and Takuya committed the sounds to memory. Even after times changed and the moment could never be truly understood in full again, he knew that he would never forget the sensations left behind by Chihiro's words and the joy they had shared.

"I wanted to give this back to you."

Izumi glanced up when she heard Hinoka's voice, and she saw that the girl had extended her hand downwards. Izumi's ponytail holder was between her fingers, and the braid that Hinoka had been wearing since they first departed from Rose Morning Star had been taken out. Her light brown hair fell around her shoulders in gentle waves, and her smile was as open as it was precious.

Izumi would have been lying if she said that she had even given a second thought towards letting Hinoka borrow the ponytail. Still, she allowed herself to take it, and she slid it effortlessly back into its regular place around her wrist. "Thanks," she said kindly. She patted the sandy ground beside her, gesturing for Hinoka to sit.

Hinoka followed her invitation without hesitation. "I'm glad that you're okay even though we were separated," she told Izumi. "I was worried about you after we split up, but it seems to me like you had no issues looking after yourself. You even managed to reach the Hybrid level while we were apart."

Izumi allowed a smile to grace her features, and she reveled in its honesty. After spending so many years falsifying her grins for the sake of others, it felt amazing to be sincere for once. It was something that she hadn't gotten used to yet, and its novelty wasn't lost on her. "I'm happy that you're safe too."

For a moment, they were quiet, but Hinoka broke the silence after she had collected her thoughts. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough for all that you've done for me," she confessed. "I talked with Mayumi while we were together on Rubrum, and... I realized just how much I've changed in the time since we've arrived here in the Digital World. I can say with certainty that my evolution has to do with you. I don't even want to imagine how awful I would still be feeling if not for your help in getting me to join the rest of the team."

Izumi shook her head dismissively. "I just wanted to help. I'm glad that I was able to make you feel better about all of this," she assured Hinoka. For a moment, her words failed her, but she managed to find a way to continue despite the obstacle. "Getting to know you as helped me out a lot too. Spending time with the whole group has changed me for the better, and I'm glad that I came here and had the chance to meet all of you."

Hinoka's face lit up, and she met Izumi's gaze for a few moments longer before dropping her eyes down to the sandy ground below. She picked up a handful of the grains and allowed them to slip between her fingers. "I didn't know what I was going to do with myself before I came here, but... I think I understand now that I'm going to be okay no matter what comes next."

Izumi gently reached out towards Hinoka, and she took the other girl's fingers between her own. It was a subtle gesture, but the comfort that it brought was instant. Izumi felt her chest grow warm with glee, and Hinoka's shoulders seemed to lose their previous tension. "I want to keep getting to know you after all of this is over," Izumi told her. "No matter what comes next, I'm going to keep fighting for the sake of a peaceful future for us all. I... I want all of us to be happy, and that includes you. The past is in the past, and while we can't change it now, we can look to the future. I'm going to keep thinking about what's to come for a long time, and I'm looking forward to it far more than I ever did before thanks to this group."

Hinoka squeezed Izumi's fingers gently between her own as the blonde girl continued to speak. "I never wanted to think much about the future before this. I guess that it was easier to simply pretend that it was none of my concern rather than focusing on what I wanted to do with my life. Now... I'm actually excited to see what could come next since I know that I won't be going through it alone. No matter what happens, I'll have the rest of the group by my side. I don't need to lie to the world anymore since I understand that it isn't my job to constantly satisfy everyone around me. It's alright to be weak and vulnerable, and... Perfection isn't important," Izumi declared.

Saying it out loud made the words echo far more with Izumi than she anticipated. After spending years trying to reach an ideal that didn't truly exist, she was finally allowing herself to be flawed. She didn't need to hide her issues to be deserving of love, and she had finally come to terms with such a key truth despite her previous denial. It brought a strange sort of justice to hear herself say such things against her prior notions of love and worthiness. At long last, Izumi could declare that she was enough without the judgement of others, and that was beyond incredible to her.

"Perfection is ridiculous anyways," Hinoka told her. "And... For what it's worth, I think that you're perfect just the way you are." Once again, she squeezed gently at Izumi's hand, and it almost seemed as if all the love in the world was being transferred between their laced fingers.

Izumi found herself pulling Hinoka into a hug before she could fully process what she was doing. A smile formed on her features, and she let out a gentle laugh. "So much has changed since we first came here... I want to stay like this even after we leave the Digital World. I'm not proud of the person who I used to be, but... I'm happy with how I am now. I think all of us should be happy with the people that we've become. After all, we've saved the Digital World from catastrophe twice now, and that has to be worth something," Izumi said. She laughed once again, loving how light and real the sound felt on her lips.

Hinoka laughed along with her, and she retuned the gesture that Izumi had granted her. "I was once terrified of being alone, you know... I thought that I wasn't worth anything unless I was helping other people. Being here in the Digital World... Meeting all of you...I suppose that it's taught me that I have worth outside of simply aiding others as well. It's a lesson I never thought I would need, but I'm glad I learned it. I'm happy that I'm here," she confessed.

Izumi and Hinoka pulled apart soon afterwards, but even as silence fell over them once again, their hands remained firmly clasped together. Izumi didn't mind in the slightest, and she would tell that Hinoka felt the same way. Even after all they had been through, they had come out the other side, and that was what mattered most. No matter what the future had in store, they would be ready for it because they were together. Past perceptions of the self were unimportant and would one day wash out with the tides or vanish like a breath on the wind. All that they cared about was each other and the rest of their family of misfits, and neither one of them had ever been happier.

Tomoki found it easy to slip into place alongside Yumiko as they sat near the place where the shore met the waves. Yumiko was brushing one hand through the ocean, allowing its gentle rolling sensations to brush along the outside of her hand. She glanced up to Tomoki, and a smile immediately formed on her face.

It was difficult for Tomoki to place the shift at first. He wasn't confident in what particularly had caused such a change, but he was positive that something had happened. He found himself studying her face for far longer than anticipated, knowing that he was staring but not able to bring himself to care.

The realization came all at once, and Tomoki grinned as he saw how bright her gaze had become. Yumiko had been rather shy back when they first met, tending to keep to herself and avoiding most contact with others when possible. She also allowed herself to retreat into her own shadow in a way, unwilling to show it when she was feeling less than stellar. It was difficult for her to reach out to others, always acting as a gentle elegant figure who seemed to only exist out of the corner of anyone's eye.

All of a sudden, she held herself with a sense of confident determination that she had lacked before. Her smile seemed to come far more naturally, and her eyes practically glowed. In a way, every part of Yumiko was radiant, and she had evolved in a way that Tomoki never anticipated. Something about her was simply perfect, and even if true glory in such a nature never truly existed, Tomoki felt that there was no other word to describe her.

"You seem happier," Tomoki commented, trying not to sound as awestruck as he felt. He didn't know how to elaborate on it further, but there was something about her that simply captivated him and refused to let go. She was nothing short of splendid.

"I guess you could say that I am," Yumiko replied with a gentle laugh. Her features slipped into something stoic yet still caring. "I thought about it when I was with Koji and Junpei. I... I don't want to hide things the way that I used to. I changed my outlook on life as a way of defending myself, but I know now that I don't have to be that way anymore. I deserve better than that. There are people who care about me, and I guess that I'm more determined than ever to act like how I did before everything seemed to go wrong."

"I'm proud of you," Tomoki confessed. He rolled up his jacket sleeve and began to stir his hand gently through the rolling waves as well, welcoming the sensation of water clashing with his pale, cold skin.

"Thank you," Yumiko smiled. "I've thought about this a lot, I suppose... I was a lot more social when I was younger, but I started being afraid of the world after everything began to go wrong. I understand that the scars left by the past will never truly heal. I'll feel their effects for years to come, but... I'm not going to let fear control my life anymore. I want to be happy, and I don't want others to hold me back from that anymore. It's been way easier to make a decision like that with somebody like you at my side. After all... I've had an amazing example to follow, and I'm glad that you were there to offer me with such incredible silent advice."

Tomoki didn't know what to say at first, and he stumbled over his words for far longer than expected. He could feel heat rising in his cheeks, and he was only able to calm himself after he forced a stabilizing breath to break through his lungs. "I... I didn't realize that I was having such an impact on you," Tomoki admitted.

"Of course," Yumiko told him. "It's only natural. I can tell that you've been through a lot as of late, but... You're still coming out the other side stronger than ever before. I can see it in your eyes, you know. Something about you has changed as of late. The shift took place before I joined the group, but... There's a clear difference between how you appeared when we first crossed paths back when I was Fioremon compared to now."

"You're right there," Tomoki confessed with a small nod. Back when he had first arrived in the Digital World, fear had controlled him. All he could do was try to escape the pull of his own terror, but there was only so much that he was able to do before he was dragged back in. The Digital World had marked the first point in his life where he was able to actually take charge of his past and assert that he was worthy of care. It was only thanks to the others in the Legendary Warriors team that he had been able to pull something like that off.

He hadn't expected to have such an impact on Yumiko though. However, when he watched her, he could tell that she had changed in far more ways than he had realized. In a way, they were far more alike than he had originally assumed. They were both breaking free of the chains that fear had placed on them for so long, allowing themselves and others to enjoy the glory of life at long last. Years of strife had finally brought about something beautiful that they could relish in.

"From now on, I'm not going to allow myself to be terrified of everything that could go wrong. The possibility of life going downhill isn't a reason for me to distance myself from everything that could possibly provide satisfaction. I deserve better than that, and it's only thanks to being here that I was able to come to that conclusion," Yumiko said assertively. Tomoki had never heard her so confident in herself, and it was lovely in a million and one ways.

"Me neither," Tomoki agreed, continuing to smile to himself. He brushed his hands across the bottom of the sand before watching as Yumiko stirred at the sea's gentle rumbling motions. Silence fell upon them, but even though they weren't saying anything, the quiet that hung in the air said everything that they could have possibly wished to communicate in that moment.

Tomoki was shocked to feel fingers wrap around his own, and he let out a small gasp as Yumiko took his hand in her own. She pulled his hand free of the ocean, and the two simply allowed themselves to grasp at one another for a moment. The area was quiet aside from the gentle rolling of the sea, and the sound filled Tomoki's ears like the most beautiful static that had ever been conceived.

However, there was something far more prevalent in his mind. When he closed his mind, even just to blink against the midday sun, he saw the reflection of petals and snowflakes drifting through the air. He and Yumiko were incredibly similar, and Tomoki didn't think that he would ever be able to forget such a crucial revelation again. They had both come further than he ever could have imagined, and Tomoki wouldn't have had it any other way.

Junpei found himself antsy and anxious in the aftermath of Saki's speech about what was likely to come. He couldn't stop moving, and he dug one hand into his pocket to pull out the miscellaneous electronic parts out. It was a damn miracle that none of them had broken throughout his journal. Even the night in the rain after the initial encounter with Cybelemon hadn't been able to destroy anything that he carried around for the sake of toying around with in quiet moments. It appeared that his talent for electricity could also impact the objects around him. That was the most probable theory, and given that he didn't have a way of testing it, he simply decided to go along with it.

Junpei was so distracted with toying around with the parts between his fingers that he didn't notice Saki's shadow had appeared over him until they cleared their throat. He glanced up and saw that Saki looked far more open and honest than ever before. It was unsettling to him, but he didn't say anything about it, too stunned that Saki had even approached him in the first place to bother.

"I told Takuya about my past," Saki told him. They took a moment before sitting down on the sand beside him. They glanced out over the nearby void, and their red hair was rustled by an unseen breeze. "I guess it just sort of felt right in the moment. I wouldn't have come close to doing that if not for what you had to say. So... Thanks."

Junpei's eyes went wide before his expression softened. "I'm glad to hear that," he replied. "I know that it must have been hard for you to open up after spending all that time bottling things. Heaven knows that it took me ages to do anything about my emotional messiness after I first got here." He let out a playful snort and shook his head dismissively as laughter filled his lungs.

"I could always tell you were a stubborn one," Saki commented with a snicker of their own. It was the first time that Junpei was able to say without a shadow of a doubt that they were laughing genuinely rather than simply putting on a show with their regular sense of flare. The sound caught him by surprise, but that didn't mean that he disliked it. In fact, he found it to be fascinating and incredible.

"Emotions are hard to put up with, but... Blocking them out won't do anybody any good," Junpei told Saki after a brief pause. "I feel like that's obvious now that we've had to put up with everything involved with our Beast Spirits, but... I never considered that before I came here. If I didn't acknowledge the issue, then I could keep pretending that it didn't exist. It was easier that way, but... The easy way out isn't always for the best. Look at how much we've done here. It would have been easier to run back to Earth with our tails tucked between our legs, but we pressed on regardless."

"Denial isn't helpful in the slightest," Saki agreed. "I'm not going to pretend that it's a good thing when we both know that the opposite is the case. I never bothered to talk about what I've been through either. It was easier, but... That doesn't mean that it's for the best." They paused for a moment, and the air felt heavy until they met Junpei's gaze once again. "If you wanted to hear about it... I would trust you with the truth of everything that's happened to me. I don't think that I went into enough detail when we were talking before."

Junpei did his best to keep his eyes from shooting open in surprise, but there was only so much he could stifle. Saki chuckled once again as Junpei replied. "I would be happy to listen if you wanted to talk about it, but... I don't want to force you or anything. The fact that you discussed it at all is impressive, and I don't want to push any boundaries. I'm fully aware of how hard owning up to your damn emotions can be," he said quickly.

"If I wasn't up for it, I wouldn't have offered. This group is the first selection of people that I can be truly honest with. I'm used to having to push and shove my way to a place in the world, but that's not necessary here. You're all alive and here, and you support me just for existing. It's... It's unfamiliar to me, but I'm glad to be experiencing it at long last," Saki smiled. Their eyes seemed weary briefly, and they finally allowed themselves to show the true extent of the weakness that they had been hiding behind a perfect mask for so many years.

"I'm happy too," Junpei confirmed with a confident nod. He closed his eyes before looking over to Saki once again. "It's nice to know that you're up for this though. I don't think that it would have happened like this if not for what's happened here in the Digital World."

"I'm inclined to agree," Saki said. "I'm not going to force myself to keep quiet anymore. Stubborn seclusion isn't helpful when it comes to dealing with the world at large. Maybe I can afford to be a bit more optimistic as well. Survival isn't as much of a concern for me at this point. Maybe that will change when we go back home, but... This isn't the long game anymore. In the Digital World, with all of you, I'm free to be safe... And it's because of that security that I feel comfortable talking at all."

"Look at us, breaking away from our emotional repression," Junpei snorted. He found himself playfully nudging Saki in the side, and their body swayed with the motion. They didn't show any signs of disliking it, and their gaze actually seemed to slip into gentle relief at his actions. Junpei's smile grew a little bit wider.

"I never thought about it like that before, but you're right," Saki nodded. "I'm going to get better about all of this, and I can tell that you're already changing. Hell, if you're up for it, I'd be happy to listen if you wanted to talk about your issues too. I can tell that you've been hiding a lot for a long time... Maybe we're a lot more similar than I thought."

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Junpei turned his face towards the sky and allowed genuine joy to appear on his face at the prospect of discussing his emotional endeavors. "You know what? That sounds nice," he confessed. He turned his attention back towards Saki, seeing the way that their red hair moved in the breeze once again. At one point in time, Saki would have seemed intimidating even in such a casual environment, but all of the fear that Junpei had built up towards the Fallen Warrior variation of Lyramon was stripped away when Saki was present.

The conversation seemed to flow naturally from there, and tales of traumas long gone were unfolded with perfect honesty that had been avoided for so many years. Junpei listened with incredible attention, and even though he didn't voice such, he was sure that Saki understood the promise of reassurance would be present forever. They were going to be there for one another through heaven and hell, and nobody would ever be able to rip such a contracted promise apart once it had been established.

Mayumi didn't take long to find Haroi among the crowd of Legendary Warriors. Her regular beam of a smile had appeared on her features, and she flopped into the sand without anything resembling grace before sticking her arms into the air to stretch out. "How's it been going?" she questioned of him, the inquiry as casual and bright as always.

Haroi shrugged to himself, shutting his eyes in the process. "I suppose that life has just been normal," he replied. "Then again, I suppose that our normal here is different compared to what we're used to back on Earth."

Mayumi let out a playful snort. "You can say that again," she agreed. "I don't even think that we can be considered the same people that we once were after all that's happened since we first arrived here. I mean, we're still Mayumi and Haroi, but there's so much more than just our human names now. You have to factor in our Digimon sides too, and... I don't think that I'm the same as I was before."

"I don't think so either," Haroi confessed softly. He pulled his knees up to his chest and turned his face towards the sky. "I don't know what I'm going to do when we go back home... It's going to be strange returning home. I've spent so long here moving around like other people, but I know that this isn't going to last forever. I'm going to need my wheelchair and your help as soon as we get out of the Digital World. There won't be a way for me to navigate like I have been here."

Mayumi's smile dimmed slightly. "I guess that you're right there... I haven't given it much thought. We've been on the move constantly since arriving here, though I suppose that's the reason that this came up in the first place," she murmured. "Without the glitch that reconfigured your data this way back when we first got here, you're certainly going to have your regular issues with getting around and a lack of accessibility in some cases."

Haroi's expression slipped into something somber, and he shut his eyes before leaning forward and placing his head between his knees. "I guess we'll just have to see where it all takes us," he whispered. There was no other easy solution, and it wasn't as if they would be able to pull an explanation for their future actions out of thin air. It was something neither one of them would be able to prepare for until they got back to Earth. The transition would most certainly be difficult to endure for them both given how drastically their routines had changed, and it wasn't as if they had ever been given the chance to think through what would happen if they were placed in these circumstances.

Mayumi considered all of this for a moment before she shrugged to herself. Her smile didn't return to its initial vibrancy, but it didn't have to. "You know what? Regardless of what happens, we're going to get through it together," she told him. "And I'm not just talking about the two of us. I mean everyone here. They've been there for us in the rough transition from Earth to the Digital World, and I'm positive that they'll be there once again as we reverse the process to go back to the place where we came from."

Haroi found a smile appearing on his face once again. "I suppose that you're right..." he murmured before shaking his head. "It's not going to be easy, but saving the Digital World wasn't precisely easy either, and look at how far we've come since first arriving here. I'd say that what we've done has been more than worthy of a few internal accolades."

Mayumi nodded confidently, and her ponytail swished in every direction as a result. "Exactly! Even if it's going to be rough to go back to regular life, we're going to find a way to pull it off. Besides, we're not going to be returning to life as we knew it before. We've gotten more than a few friends to help us out since we first got here, and I think that we should take advantage of having them with us in the future," she told him. "We're not going to be just a pair of misfits against the world. Instead, we'll be a dozen of misfits against the world!"

Haroi couldn't hold back the laugh that pushed its way free of his lips at her words. He shook his head, though the action was far from being dismissive. Instead, it was merely an acknowledgement of the antics that he had gotten so used to enduring from Mayumi. "That's true... Maybe we can even introduce them to our parents. I'm sure that they're going to be happy to hear that we aren't going through everything on our own anymore," he pointed out.

"That's true!" Mayumi cried out with a gasp. She clapped her hands together rapidly in excitement. "I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they realize just how much we managed to pull off. I know that we're going to have changed a lot, but that's not a bad thing. I'm glad that I'm like this now. It's certainly better than being all caught up in the idea of the two of us against the world. That worked for a long time, but that's not how it needs to be anymore. No offense, Haroi, but I don't think I can return to that now."

"Me neither," Haroi assured her. "I really never thought that this day would come, but... Here we are. We're not alone, and we never will be again. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. Life sure has given us a hand of cards that we had no way of preparing for."

Mayumi nodded her agreement. She glanced out over the rest of the group after she turned around to face them. She sat on her knees while Haroi remained facing in the opposite direction. Mayumi could see small clusters of their companions scattered about the area, and a mischievous smile began to spread across her cheeks. Haroi grinned as well, seeming to understand what she was about to do without needing to ask.

Mayumi looked at the other Legendary Warriors along with their Digimon guides, and she nudged at Haroi's side. "Seventeen," she told him simply, not bothering to elaborate beyond that. She didn't need to; he already understood exactly what she was implying.

Mayumi's habit of counting had been noteworthy for them both for quite some time. The last time that Mayumi had done a tally of the members in their group, the eggs of Ophanimon and Cherubimon hadn't yet hatched. Once again, the party had expanded in number, and their lives were only growing better as a result. Slowly, with the arrival of each new face, Mayumi and Haroi were a little bit less alone, and they no longer had to face the tempest of the universe with only one another for balance.

Haroi didn't turn around to face Mayumi, and the two sat towards opposite directions in the quiet. Mayumi started to tap her fingers against her knee. She counted out clusters of seventeen before pausing and taking a break before starting the cycle over once again. She wasn't sure of how many times she did it, because the number of repetitions wasn't important. The number of people was far more important, and seventeen had suddenly become her favorite digit in the world.

Bokomon sat with his legs curled up in front of him as he looked back and forth between the books about the Legendary Warriors that had once belonged to the Celestial Three. He scanned over the trio of volumes for what felt like an eternity, almost as if he believed that they would spill their shared secrets to him if he watched them for long enough. Neemon, Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon all sat nearby, and they continued to stare in the silence as Bokomon examined the books in question.

"What are you looking at?" Neemon finally questioned when the silence grew to be too much for him. The basic answer felt obvious in that Bokomon was staring at the books, but it was clear as could be that there was something a bit more to it than just that.

"I'm simply thinking about how much has changed," Bokomon shrugged. "I didn't even know that these books existed not that long ago, and now, I have all three of them. I certainly have Haroi and Saki to thank for taking Ophanimon and Cherubimon's books respectively, but... It's lovely to have them all collected together given that they're part of a set that likely hasn't been united in a great many centuries."

Patamon approached the book with the yellow cover, and his ears flapped curiously even though he didn't take off into the ear. His head tilted to the side, and Patamon ran one gentle paw over the surface of the hardback cover. It was weathered beneath his fingers, but he didn't seem to notice.

Salamon was the next to give in to her ambitions of wonder, and she made her way towards the central book. This one had the pink cover, and her ears seemed to twitch a bit more than usual as she watched it. In the end, she curled up right in front of it, never taking her wide, youthful eyes off its surface.

Lopmon responded last, and he was careful as he walked towards the third and final book. This one was edged in purple, and he brushed a hand over it carefully, seeming to understand just how valuable it was. His expression was less blatantly curious than the other two, and he appeared to be examining it simply out of a necessity that he didn't understand.

If he had been speaking still, Bokomon was sure that he would have fallen silent. He saw the three Celestial Digimon reincarnated before him, and they were examining objects that they had looked over in their previous lives. Once upon a time, all three of them had been as close as could be, bonded together by the whims of destiny from generations long gone. They were the ones who looked over the Digital World when peace finally settled into worn earth in the aftermath of Lucemon's reign. Even with their memories gone, they were returning to the same objects that they had been connected by for so many years.

It was a cruel twist of fate in Bokomon's eyes. He glanced over to see that Neemon's posture was tense with concern as well. It appeared that his companion had picked up on the sudden quiet as well. The young Digimon, the creatures that they were working to raise for themselves, were doing something that neither one of them could have ever anticipated. Even with the traces of their past lives gone, they were bound together.

Bokomon watched as the three young Digimon began to look to one another. Patamon was the first one to start laughing, and his giggles were contagious as they spread towards Salamon and Lopmon. Neemon joined in soon afterwards, and Bokomon couldn't contain the smile that consumed his features a moment later. There was something somber about it, and Bokomon felt his heart simultaneously pull with sadness and tragedy and swell with gentle pride.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon had grown distant from Cherubimon in the years leading up to the start of the recent conflict. That had caused the leader of the Beast Digimon to grow paranoid and enraged at his Human Digimon companions, and it was this weakness in his armor that allowed Lucemon to slip through the cracks and take control.

Even before Lucemon's influence set in, they had been far from the best of friends. Seraphimon had seemed almost discontent with the decisions Ophanimon made to reach out to Earth to find the Legendary Warriors. He didn't openly say it, but Bokomon could sense the anxiety in his voice when they were at Evergreen Dawn so long ago. Cherubimon's distrust of his companions was clear, and there was only so much Ophanimon could do to bridge the gap between such varying philosophies. The tension was clearly there, but the conflict between them had simply given it the chance to explode outwards, leaving behind dire consequences.

Seraphimon had disagreed with Ophanimon's decision to find the Legendary Warriors and open the gate to Earth. Cherubimon had attempted to destroy Seraphimon without a second thought and sent his generals after his former comrade to end everything. Ophanimon had stabbed Cherubimon in the back after being freed, giving her life in the name of his salvation. They had done awful things to one another, allowed their own lack of communication to create a rift so large that it would likely never have been repaired on its own.

But as Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon laughed together, none of that mattered. They were simply young Digimon trying to thrive in the Digital World as it stood on the cusp of a new era. Bokomon and Neemon, two creatures who had once been fiercely loyal to Seraphimon alone, had taken in their former superiors and given them a new place in the world. Bokomon and Neemon hadn't ever done much with their lives, preferring the quaint existence that came with occupying Evergreen Dawn, but there they were, having changed everything without a second thought.

Bokomon couldn't help but laugh along with his Digimon companions, and for a moment, he could have sworn that he saw the outlines of Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon standing above the trio of young Digimon. He blinked the vision away, and when his eyes opened once again, the silhouettes that he thought he had witnessed had disappeared. Even as tears fogged his vision from a mix of bitter reminiscence and beautiful, endless laughter, Bokomon was unable to bring the specters back to his vision.

Still, he supposed that it didn't matter. Bokomon simply needed to enjoy the present and future, and he was positive that he would be able to do that as long as he had the other Digimon by his side. They had come from a lengthy history of violence in the turbulent Digital World to reach this point, and they were going to continue pressing on at one another's sides. Creatures who had once harmed one another with such reckless abandon under the influence of war were once again granted innocence, and it was beautiful in a way Bokomon had no way of describing.

Words failed him in that moment, but Bokomon couldn't help but wish he could put all of their shared adventures to pen. Perhaps, one day in the future, the books of the Celestial Three would be taken once again, but this time, the history of the new generation of Legendary Warriors would accompany them, creating a resplendent image of heartbreak finally reaching a conclusion.

Koji knew that something was wrong.

He had been able to sense that Koichi was behaving strangely as soon as the group came together to end the battle against Alphamon. There was simply something conflicted in Koichi's eyes that bothered Koji in a way that he didn't know how to explain. His chest was tight with discomfort, and Koji swallowed dryly as he made his way over to the spot where his brother had decided to sit.

"You've been acting oddly," Koji remarked first. He sat down slowly and braced his hands backwards against the nearby sand behind him. "Is there something on your mind?" In all truth, Koji wanted to get to the point as quickly as possible, but he was only holding himself back by the threads of patience for the sake of his brother. He could feel his anxiety getting worse, but he did his best to shove it aside.

Koichi watched Koji carefully, and for a moment, his eyes were wide with something that bordered on desperate panic. He corrected his expression soon afterwards, and an easy smile appeared on his features. "I'm feeling fine," he told Koji. Despite his words, Koji could tell that Koichi was paler than usual, and there was no way for Koichi to hide that there was something wrong. Even if he chose not to explicitly define it, there was most certainly something there.

Koji's eyes narrowed, and he could feel his patience starting to grow thin. It wasn't out of any intended malice towards his brother, instead being born of concern that he longed to resolve as soon as possible. "I know that something is going on," Koji told him, trying to keep the dry nerves out of his voice. "I'm not trying to push you because I'm upset or anything. I just want to make sure that everything is alright with you. If something is happening, then that means that you might need help, and I want to try and offer it if possible."

Koichi shook his head. "There's really nothing to worry about," he insisted. "Everything is going to be alright. I suppose that it's just the stress of being separated in the first place that's getting to me. The situation has been rather tense ever since the Royal Knights first appeared, and it's taking longer than expected to come down off my nervous high."

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Koji questioned after brief hesitation. He could tell that there was something more to it, but Koichi was being incredibly stubborn when it came to opening up. Then again, given that they were related, it was only natural that Koichi had a stubborn streak. It was a given fact of life by that point that Koji could be severe when it came to his determination, and despite their differing dispositions, the same seemed to apply to Koichi.

"Positive," Koichi assured her, a light smile appearing on his face once again. He was doing a good job of keeping everything hidden, Koji had to admit, but even if Koichi was a talented actor, he wasn't able to stop his brother from figuring out that something was going on. In fact, Koji was sure that the other Legendary Warriors would have all been able to determine that there was something off about Koichi, though Koji was able to pick up on it nearly as soon as the lies left his brother's lips.

Koji took in a deep breath before reaching out one hand to take Koichi's fingers between his own. His older brother flinched at the contact before his shoulders relaxed and the tension dissipated. "You know that you can talk to me no matter what's going on, right?" Koji questioned gently. "I'm not trying to push you or anything, but I want to do what I can to help you out. That's what I'm here for. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't care about you. Please, Koichi... Let me help you."

Koichi glanced away from Koji and stared intensely at the place where their hands met. His eyes flickered with sadness before he covered it up with as much speed as he could manage. "I'm fine," he assured Koji, but he seemed to realize that neither one of them was buying the false words.

Koji wanted to press the issue once again, to say that he could tell there was something clearly wrong, but he couldn't loosen Koichi's lips no matter how hard he tried. Koji was starting to realize that there wasn't much of anything he could do, and hopelessness was starting to settle in. Maybe Koichi simply needed a bit of time to himself to figure out his emotions. The Digital World was a complex place, and it had taken quite a bit of time for all of them to adjust. In fact, Koji would have certainly argued that he wasn't even fully used to the Digital World even after all of the time that they had been there. This was an explanation that most certainly would have made sense.

However, that didn't mean that it was one Koji believed in. No matter how logical it was, Koji didn't want to place his faith in it. He still felt oddly jittery and nervous as he looked down to the spot where his hand met Koichi's for a long time. The silence filled his ears, and he could have sworn that he heard his heart pounding in his chest. Why did this make him so nervous?

Koji was able to conjure an explanation for that question nearly as soon as he had inquired it of himself. Koichi had been so open and honest with their relationship ever since they first met following his purification. He had been perfectly sincere with all that he had gone through and the information that he learned as a result, and Koji had come to understand everything seamlessly.

To see Koichi suddenly close off and block him out was unsettling, though that was most certainly putting it nicely. Koji's mouth felt dry and hollow all of a sudden, and he was even more desperate for answers than he had been before. Something was going on, and Koji figured that his best bet for finding out more information about what was bothering his brother would be to ask Mayumi and Hinoka. They had been the ones with Koichi before the party reunited, after all. If anybody was going to know, it would be one of them.

Koji was slow in rising to his feet, and he gently slid his hand out from beneath Koichi's fingers. His brother looked at his hand for a long while before averting his gaze. Koichi's eyes never lost their troubled sheen, and Koji stared at the back of his brother's head as he retreated. He had to find answers as soon as possible. Even if it wasn't for his own sake, Koichi most certainly needed the help, and Koji was going to do what he could to offer it.

Even if Koichi denied his assistance, Koji was going to do everything that he could to fix the issue at hand. That was a promise that he was never going to let go of.

For countless generations, Lucemon had known nothing but the shadows.

The world around him had been dark for much of his memory, and the remnants of his rule were simply whispers that existed in the back of his mind for occasional indulgences of reminiscence. The angel hadn't been the one in charge for countless years, leaving him sealed at the Dark Heart of the Digital World. The core of the realm was an orb of pure shadow that always danced with a roiling sense of urgent malice. The Light Heart, an entity that most referred to as the sun, rested high in the sky and looked down over all the occupants of the Digital World with a kiss of beautiful serenity. By contrast, the Dark Heart was buried deep beneath the ground, the center point where all of the Fractal Code connected to the layers of the realm's surface.

Lucemon had grown used to seeing only purple and black in a swirling pattern that looked like a stick being perpetually dragged through paint with a lazy grip. That was all that he could see, after all. The outside of the Dark Heart contained a single lock that kept him in place, but Lucemon hadn't seen it since the day that the ancient Legendary Warriors of Fire and Light first sealed him away inside the orb of dark matter. That had been centuries ago, and his frustration had grown to be endless in the time since he was first pressed inside.

The Grand Spirit was what it was known as. Lucemon had come to learn over many years of imprisonment that it was the central fragment of the souls of the Legendary Warriors, containing magic that combined every type of energy the Warriors possessed. Lucemon could still remember the armored shrine of blue and red, and when he closed his eyes, he dreamed of sinking all of his power into its surface, shredding it until there was nothing left behind.

Still, the Grand Spirit was not perfect. No prison truly was, and Lucemon had realized after some time that he could reach through the cracks and influence the outside world. In the beginning, his powers had only been minimal at best, and Lucemon was unable to properly communicate with anyone who lived outside the barriers of his prison. He had tried many a time, but he hadn't ever come close to succeeding.

As the years passed by, Lucemon's power returned to him. With each new drop of strength that flooded his body, Lucemon was able to reach further into the world outside. He watched as Cherubimon grew to distrust Seraphimon and Ophanimon as his centuries of paranoia finally grew to be too much for him to bear. Lucemon simply whispered in his ear that he would be able to fix everything, and Cherubimon, in a moment of hopeless desperation, simply accepted it. From there, it was an easy job to begin a worldwide conquest of the Digital World, and Lucemon had been able to ensure that no occupants of the realm were at all aware of what he was doing.

The Royal Knights had been ecstatic to hear from their liege after so many years. They were aware that he still lived, but they were never able to announce that he was slated to return. Instead, they went into hiding and allowed themselves to grow stronger, waiting for the right moment to strike back. When Lucemon had said that he was going to be returning as soon as his plans came to fruition, they prepared themselves, believing that they would be able to usher in a new era as soon as the Beast Digimon completely eviscerated the Human Digimon that they had been so tense towards for countless generations.

The Legendary Warriors were a factor that Lucemon had never considered, but he was far more adaptive than he gave off at a glance. He set them to fight against one another as the rest of Cherubimon's forces ravaged the Digital World, sending him data as soon as possible. Lucemon absorbed everything that was sent in his direction, and his power only continued to grow.

The loss of the Royal Knights was unfortunate, but Lucemon felt no grief towards them. He knew that their strength was going to be devoted to something far more important, and even if their memory data was gone, the power they still held was left behind. The Royal Knights remained fiercely loyal to him even in death, dedicating the last of their strength towards his cause under the assumption that Lucemon would find a way to return their lives to them with the inherent power that he possessed.

One by one, the Royal Knights fell. Lucemon could feel their power in him when he concentrated, and the different waves of energy crashed against one another in his core. He was going to use their deaths to spur his revival. They had gathered immense amounts of Fractal Code, and half of the Digital World had been torn to shreds under their influence. The world was an empty shell of its former self, leaving behind only those who had managed to survive by luck and the immense strength of their own denial.

However, Lucemon was positive that his plan had fallen into an unexpected path. He had far more strength than anticipated, and the half of the Digital World that was left was no longer necessary. Of course, he was still planning on conquering what was left to truly push his power beyond what it had been before. He was going to be stronger than he had been during the past incarnation of his rule, and no living creature would be able to stop him, including the Legendary Warriors themselves.

The Grand Spirit was starting to loosen its grip. All of Lucemon's reaching out to the other side of his prison had caused it to start to fall away from its intended position. It wasn't going to be long before he fully figured out a way to shed the lock away from the Dark Heart, and when that time came, Lucemon was going to break free and show the Digital World what he was truly made of. They had denied him centuries before, but he was never going to allow the occupants of the Digital World to ignore his rule again. Lucemon was going to be the one in power as he should have been from the very start.

Lucemon allowed the power of the Royal Knights to continue stirring inside of him. He was so close, and he was going to use the strength that they had sent him to fulfill the ambitions that they had shared prior to their demises. Lucemon smiled to himself, and he summoned a small sphere of energy. The magic pulsed under his intent gaze before dissipating at his command. The power of sun and shadow melted together inside of Lucemon's body, and all he could do was smile to himself with a dark ambition that none who appeared so young should have ever possessed.

The end of the Digital World was in sight. He would destroy what remained from the whims of his previous attempts at ending the world, and when he did, he would make way for a new dimension that would forever follow the wishes that he presented. After all, he was the one true ruler of the Digital World, and no soul would ever be able to stop him.

The final arc has begun!

This is the last chapter that revolves entirely around character development since what's left is going to focus on the final battle with Lucemon. With that said, let's get into the author's note!

First off, I really liked writing the moment between Takuya and Chihiro. It identifies a clear difference between Takuya and Chihiro, both of whom seem similar to the gogglehead archetype, while also highlighting the similarities and differences in the leadership styles of Takuya and Saki. It's a small moment, but I rather enjoyed it.

Izumi and Hinoka really are showing their gay, huh? Jokes aside, I love their dynamic a lot. It's most certainly unlike what we're used to with Izumi and Ranamon in canon, but I think it's sweet how much they care about each other. They're both quiet and caring in completely different ways, but their similarities of wanting to impress others really do draw them together.

Tomoki and Yumiko have always had one of my favorite dynamics in the story because of how similar they are despite being of opposite elements. You wouldn't expect them to get along as well as they do, but they're far more similar than you would anticipate. They're both getting better about their confidence thanks to the other, and it's super sweet to see in my opinion.

Junpei and Saki's moment is next, and I have to say that it's sort of a matter of personal indulgence for Junpei, the most underrated character in Frontier, to be so similar to the leader of the Fallen Warriors. It's a nice way to give him the attention that he deserves, and I love writing scenes for the two of them even if there aren't as many as with some of the other pairs in this chapter.

Mayumi and Haroi's moment is a nice little callback to their previous interactions that emphasized how they were only really able to rely on each other prior to the Digital World, but look at them now. I think my favorite part of it has to be the reference to Mayumi's quirk of counting things, and her going over the number of party members is a nice little detail that I'm glad I was able to bring up again.

Koji and Koichi's segment of the chapter is the most plot relevant for obvious reasons. Poor Koji is being forced to see what happens to Koichi from the outside without understanding. Koichi's anxiety is most certainly natural given what he's come to learn, but I still feel bad that Koji isn't able to figure it out quite yet. I really do put both of these boys through way too much.

The last little bit with Lucemon was another small piece of plot content that foreshadows at a few other things that are bound to happen soon. You'll just have to see how this all unfolds, but we're getting closer than ever to the end of the story, and the piece of Lucemon information is the tip of the iceberg to show how close we are to the finale.

That was a lot of information to process, but there's my good ol' author's note for this chapter! Next week, we're going to be pressing on with the next part of act five and getting closer to the final fight. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital