I do not own InuYasha or Digimon Adventure in any way!

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

'The' – Thoughts

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE BEGINNING!

AN: Literally just a continuation of the previous chapter, so don't expect too much…or for it to be very long…

And I know I haven't updated in who knows how long, but there's a few family problems going on right now so I can't give my writing my total attention, no matter how much I may want to. I'll update when I can, but I can't make any promises that I'll be able to update often and if it does happen, then I just had a stroke of dumb luck.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Review, but if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all!

-The Ninth Child-

xX-The Storm of Friendship-Xx

-Digital World-

"Hey," Kari smiled, "Tentomon's back!"

The group was still sailing along the train tracks with their makeshift ride and had been for a while now.

"All aboard! Oh I just love riding trains!" the insect Digimon greeted them as he touched down into the cart Kari's group was situated in. "Now, where's the dining car?"

"So did you spot MetalGreymon?" T.K asked.

"I didn't get too far, but there wasn't any sign of Mr. Tall, Dark, and Armoured," Tentomon shook his head.

"Hey, there's an e-mail from Izzy!" Cody exclaimed.

"What's it say?" Tai asked urgently.

"Apparently Ken and MetalGreymon have been spotted a few miles south of us," the young boy reported.

"Well, at least we're on the right track," Matt commented.

"Technically," Tentomon pointed out, "We're on the only track."

"He has a point," Kudamon nodded.

Kagome gasped as she once again saw a slideshow of images through her head. One image was of a strange-looking Digi-Egg with the Crest of Friendship on it, another was of a black-armoured Digimon with a lightning bolt upon its nose, another image had Davis who looked like he was arguing with himself, another image was of Kagome riding atop Garurumon with Sorcermon flying beside them, and the last was of a Dark Spiral-free Agumon.

"Another vision?" Matt asked when Kagome blinked rapidly and Tai watched his sister worriedly.

Kagome nodded before looking at Davis. "I won't tell you what I've seen, but I'll give you a piece of advice: No matter what happens, friends always do everything they can to help each other despite the choices that have to be made."

"Huh?" the maroon-haired boy nodded, though he looked confused.

"Listen to her," Tai advised, "Even if we can't know what she's seen, Kagome's advice'll never steer you wrong."

"Wow," Yolei and Cody as well as their partners looked at Kagome with interest. "So that's Kagome having a vision…" the lavender-haired girl observed.

"And since she's not weak," Cody added, "That must mean that no one gets hurt!"

"Okay, so now that we know where they are," Tai looked at the younger children, "it's time to fight with everything we've got! This time we're getting Agumon back for sure!"

Matt nodded. "With all of us fighting at full strength, there's no way the Digimon Emperor can win!" It was then that his stance faltered a bit. "But just in case…" He looked to the insect Digimon in the other cart. "Tentomon, I need your help."

"Now?" Tentomon looked up at the older blonde. "Oh, but I was just about to have my shell waxed!"

"Sorry," Matt apologized, "but I need to you to find Garurumon for me."

"Garurumon?" Tentomon parroted. "Gotcha! I'll be back in a flash!"

"Wait," Kagome called out to the insect Digimon, "I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure?" Kari asked her sister.

"You're not running away are ya?!" Davis burst out. "Not after that vision thing you just had!"

Immediately, everyone but Kagome, Yolei, and Cody and their partners glared at the maroon-haired boy. "Leave her alone," Matt said firmly, "If she wants to go, then there's a good reason for it. Kagome's a lot of things, but she's not a coward."

"I'd say more, but Matt's just about summed it all up," Tai added. "But just for the record: Don't talk to my sister like that. Heck, don't talk to either of my sisters that way!"

Davis stiffened for a moment, having never seen Tai act this way before, and nodded in assent a moment after.

"Let's go, Kudamon," Kagome looked at her partner with a smirk, getting a smirk back.

"Kudamon Armour-Digivolve to: Sorcermon, the Mage of Compassion!"

"So that's him," Matt muttered under his breath, watching the humanoid Digimon Taking Kagome in his arms before flying off with Tentomon. He felt a small twinge, but ignored in favour of watching the now arguing T.K and Davis.

The~Ninth~Child

"So how exactly are we supposed to find Garurumon, anyway?" the insect Digimon asked. "We can't exactly go around calling out for him like a puppy! Well, actually, he is a puppy, a big one, but a puppy nonetheless; well actually, maybe he's a dog or even an oversized wolf cub…"

Kagome and Sorcermon looked at the babbling Digimon, sweat-dropping as the babbling continued, never ceasing.

"I think I could try and locate his aura," Kagome spoke up.

"Do you think you can?" Tentomon asked, stopping his rapid-fire speech.

"I've never used to find someone far away before," the raven-haired teen admitted, "but I can try my best. I usually can sense what's coming toward us, not what's away from us…"

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before releasing it. She repeated twice more, eventually falling into a relaxed, but not slumbering, state. 'Please work!' The raven-haired teen concentrated on Garurumon's aura and the feel of it. It wasn't until a few seconds later did she open her eyes to see a faint white-blue light in the distance.

"I think I know where he is!" Kagome smiled in relief.

The~Ninth~Child

"Garurumon~! Oh Garurumon~!" Tentomon sang. "Oh, now where could he be?"

"You'd probably find out if we followed Kagome's directions," Sorcermon returned dryly.

"Oh now don't be so—WOWZA!" Tentomon stopped short just before he hit was looked like a black wall. "What the—?" He looked up to see what he'd nearly hit and blanched. "That's either one of the biggest sundials I've ever seen or it's one of the Digimon Emperor's Control Spires!"

"I'd vote for the latter," Kagome said wryly.

"You know—Wait a second, what's that?" Tentomon turned his head as if hearing something. "Hold your horses! Hide!"

The insect Digimon, Sorcermon, and Kagome quickly ducked behind a large rocky structure. They peeked out slightly to see a small group of grayish-winged Digimon bounce on past.

"Oh no," Tentomon breathed, "It's a squadron of Pagumon! And they're all being controlled by those Dark Rings!"

"Dark Rings?" Kagome's eyes narrowed. 'He hasn't used his Dark Rings on them? So why did he create it? Was it to specifically control MetalGreymon, or was there something else?' "Tentomon, you were there when Agumon first Digivolved into SkullGreymon, weren't you?"

"Yes," Tentomon nodded. "Why do you want to know?"

"How did SkullGreymon seem to you back then?" the raven-haired teen asked carefully.

"He seemed a little…out of control, I guess," Tentomon replied slowly, trying to describe what he'd seen. "He was definitely powerful, but at the same time, he looked like he was about to go on a rampage!"

"Almost as if nothing but fighting mattered to it?" Kagome clarified.

"Exactly!" Tentomon nodded rapidly.

'Then that must have been why he created the Dark Spiral!' Kagome's eyes widened. 'SkullGreymon's power must have been too powerful for the Dark Ring to handle and so he created the Dark Spirals to contain that power in such a way that he could still control the Digimon without worrying about the Digimon getting out of control!'

"Is there something you want to tell us?" the insect Digimon asked, watching different expression flit over the girl's face.

"I think I may know why that brat created the Dark Spirals," Kagome explained. "I think that when he took Agumon and forced him to Digivolve, the Dark Ring couldn't handle all that power, causing him to Digivolve into SkullGreymon. But SkullGreymon's power must have overloaded the Dark Ring. And so the brat had to reconfigure the structure so that whatever Digimon he forced to Digivolve under his control would stay in his control without running wild."

"There is something else that troubles you," Sorcermon stated as he and Tentomon resumed their original course towards Garurumon.

"I just don't understand why those Pagumon we just saw had Dark Rings and not Spirals…" Kagome trailed off pensively.

"Perhaps it is only a matter of priority," Sorcermon suggested.

"What do you mean?" Tentomon asked.

"The Spirals are new creations that are no doubt much more powerful than the Dark Rings," the mage Digimon elaborated, "Don't you think it's possible that he could be saving them for the more powerful Digimon? The ones that won't stay so easily under his control?"

"It would explain why those Pagumon don't have Dark Spirals on them," Tentomon nodded.

Kagome nodded before sighing. "Oh well, there's no time to dwell on that now; we need to find Garurumon soon before the others get into trouble!"

"And if the Digimon Emperor is involved," Sorcermon added, "Then there is always bound to be trouble."

The~Ninth~Child

"Garurumon should be just over that ridge," Kagome pointed to a hill just a few metres away, "That's where his aura's the strongest."

"Kagome?! Tentomon?!" came a surprised and gruff voice.

The trio looked towards the source of the voice and saw the very Digimon they'd been looking for looking up at them from underneath a patch of trees with surprise.

"Garurumon!" Kagome and Tentomon cried out in relief.

"Thank goodness we found you!" the raven-haired teen smiled at the wolf-like Digimon when they all reached the ground.

"Even though it was unexpected," Garurumon said as he nuzzled Kagome gently, "I can't say I'm not pleased to see you all." He stepped away from the girl and adopted a serious expression. "But I don't think you're just here to say 'hello', are you?"

"That's because we're not," Sorcermon spoke up. He quickly explained to the larger Digimon of what had happened with Agumon and why they came for him.

Crimson eyes held a determined glint. "You can count on me," Garurumon nodded. He looked to Kagome as he knelt down before gesturing to the girl to climb up onto him.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked. "Won't I just slow you down?"

Garurumon chuckled. "I just think we should give Sorcermon a little break, that's all; not that you're heavy, you're light as a feather! Now come on, we have to get going!" He glanced at Sorcermon and saw the Mage Digimon giving a slight nod. 'Guess I'm not the only one that sees it…'

Nodding, Kagome climbed up onto the wolf-like Digimon and with a howl, they were off, back to the rest of the group.

The~Ninth~Child

"No Patamon!" the trio heard T.K shout.

"No," Kagome breathed out, "No! Garurumon, please, can you go any faster?"

"Hold on, Kagome!" the wolf-like Digimon growled as he picked up the pace. He leapt off the edge of the cliff they were headed toward with a great howl. The next thing Kagome knew was that she and Garurumon were being launched toward MetalGreymon.

"Garurumon," Kagome asked slowly, "Where is Patamon?"

Kagome didn't get a verbal answer from the Digimon that was her ride. Instead, the reply she received was an amused growl.

"Great job, Garurumon!" Matt grinned up at his partner.

"Kagome, Garurumon," Tai sighed in relief, "You got here just in time! But, uh, where's Patamon?"

"You tell me," Kagome shrugged weakly.

Just then, to the amused horror of the small group before the wolf-like Digimon, Garurumon opened up his jaws to reveal Patamon curled up in his mouth.

"T.K!" Patamon squealed, launching himself into his partner's arms.

"Patamon, how do you feel? Are you okay? You're not hurt or anything, are you?" the young blonde asked.

"Other than feeling like a chewed piece of dental floss, I'm fine!" the small winged Digimon chirped.

"You swallowed him," Kagome deadpanned with a slightly green expression. She leaned over to the side to catch Garurumon's eye. "You ate him?! Why would you eat him?!"

"Well, I don't have hands to carry him, now do I?" Garurumon chuckled at Kagome's look. "And he was only in my mouth, it's not like I wanted to have him for lunch or anything…"

The raven-haired girl looked at Matt with a bland expression. "Your Digimon really has a weird sense of humor…"

Matt could only laugh weakly at that. 'That he does, Kagome…'

"Oh how moving a moment this is," Ken sneered, "you're going to make me cry. If you really want to test out your friendship, then you'd better get ready for the fight of your life! MetalGreymon!"

The Ultimate Digimon roared just as the other armoured Digimon, bar Flamedramon, all jumped in to attack him.

(AN: Just assume here that Nefertimon, Digmon, Pegasusmon, and Halsemon are already present alongside Flamedramon.)

'Test out your friendship?' Kagome's eyes narrowed. The statement, the way it sounded, was addressed to one person in particular. Her icy-blue orbs searched the group before they landed on Davis. 'He didn't listen…Why is it no one ever listens?'

"Davis!" Kagome called out, making to get off of Garurumon, but the Digimon stopped her.

"It's all right, you can stay," Garurumon told her.

"But, you and Matt—" Kagome was cut off once more by the Digimon she sat atop.

"He can still come with me," Garurumon assured her, "I just want you to stay so I can make sure you're safe." He glanced up at Sorcermon and the two Digimon nodded at each other. 'Plus maybe this way you two can actually see what's there…'

"Why so concerned?" Kagome asked quietly.

"You'll understand one day," Garurumon replied just as quietly. 'I just hope it's soon before anyone gets hurt…'

Kagome nodded before turning back to Davis. "Davis, listen to me!" She told the boy when he looked at her. "Friendship, true friendship, is doing everything and anything to help out a friend in need, especially when they're in trouble! Sometimes we have to make choices, and those choices might not be the options we'll always agree with, but in times like this, that's the only thing we can do!"

Garurumon then turned to Matt and knelt down as he'd done for Kagome.

"Garurumon?" Matt asked curiously, seeing Kagome still up on his partner's back. 'What's up with him?'

"Apparently, he doesn't want to let me out of his sight," Kagome giggled nervously, "says that he wants to keep me near to keep me safe."

The older blonde shot his partner a confused look before shrugging and climbing up onto Garurumon's back behind Kagome, gripping Garurumon's fur in his hands tightly as he kept his arms braced around the girl on front of him, both teens flushed near imperceptibly by this time.

'Well, it's there, but it doesn't look like either of them noticed it yet,' Garurumon glanced back at his riders with raised eyebrows.

"MetalGreymon!" Tai shouted up to the Ultimate Digimon. "It's me, Tai; your best friend! Don't you recognize me?"

"Tai," Matt told the brown-haired teen, "We'll go up with Garurumon and try to get that Dark Spiral off of him, 'kay?" And with that, the wolf-like Digimon launched himself at the Dark Spiral wrapped around MetalGreymon's upper arm.

"Ka—KAGOME?!" Tai nodded before realizing his sister was still on Garurumon's back. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'd get off if I could!" Kagome shouted back to her brother. "But right now, I don't have a say!"

Unfortunately, Garurumon was knocked back by MetalGreymon's large metal claw. "Damn, that was a close one," Matt muttered.

"We need to fight him with everything we've got, Garurumon," the older blonde told his partner.

"I know, but I'm afraid of hurting MetalGreymon," the wolf-like Digimon spoke.

"Well, we need to fight him no matter what," Kagome put in, "because either we snap that ring off of him, or he'll snap us into a pile of mush!"

"Besides, Tai agrees that we need to do this to save him," Matt added, "Right, Tai?"

The brown-haired teen nodded with a grave expression. "I don't want to have to fight Agumon anymore than anyone else here, but right now that's the only thing we can do to save him."

"Gold Rush!"

"Rosetta Stone!"

"Tempest Wing!"

"Crystal Barrage!"

The three attacks hit MetalGreymon head on, sending him reeling back a couple paces with a cry of pain.

Kagome grimaced at the sound as did Matt behind her, but didn't say anything as it would do no good at this point. The teens only held on as Garurumon once again leapt at the large metal-dinosaur hybrid, gnawing at the Dark Spiral, but to no avail.

"No dice," Matt shook his head in frustration while Kagome's eyes looked on at MetalGreymon for amoment before turning onto Davis.

"Davis!" Tai snapped at the younger boy. "This isn't the time to be thinking about what's best for yourself! It's about doing what's best for friendship!"

"Friendship?" Davis muttered. 'Wait,' his eyes widened as he glanced at Kagome, 'That's what Kagome said before…I-I guess I've been so worried about myself that I forgot about everything else that's important! Like how I'd do anything for Veemon! Because he's my friend and one of the best anyone can ever have!'

Kagome smiled, having seen Davis' expressions. "I think he's finally got it…"

And it seems that Kagome was righted because all of a sudden, Davis' D3 began glowing a pale-blue, in tandem with the glow surrounding the Digi-Egg of Friendship.

"They're reacting to each other?!" T.K exclaimed. "How?!"

"It doesn't make sense, though," Cody pointed out, "Davis already has the Digi-Egg of Courage, so how can he have another?"

"But, if this is his second," Kari chimed in, "This could help Veemon get stronger."

"And we'll finally stand a chance against MetalGreymon!" Yolei squealed.

"I guess he finally saw the light," Tai shook his head, "But I definitely didn't expect Davis to get a second Digi-Egg." He looked up at his sister. "But I get the feeling that you did."

"You could say that," Kagome said cryptically, winking at her brother.

"Digi-Armour: Energize!" Davis called out.

"Veemon Armour-Digivolve to: Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

There in Veemon's place stood a large four-legged Digimon clothed in black armour with silver and yellow accents over its blue and white body, a large yellow lightning bolt atop his head.

"I am Raidramon," the newly evolved Digimon introduced himself, "As Veemon, I used the Digi-Egg of Friendship to Digivolve. My Blue Thunder and Electric Bite attacks annihilate my enemies!"

"Finally someone that can stand up to the Digimon Emperor," Cody grinned widely. "Raidramon!"

The Digimon Emperor gritted his teeth for a moment before a smirk broke out over his features. "Show those fools just what you can do, MetalGreymon!"

In reply, MetalGreymon's claw shot out towards Raidramon, but missed as the Armour Digimon leapt away. The three large lightning-shaped prongs atop Raidramon's back crackled with pale-blue electricity. "Blue Thunder!" The electric currents from the three prongs converged into a swirling mass of crimson and pale-blue lightning as it struck the Dark Spiral.

The DigiDestined only gasped in disappointment when they saw that the Dark Spiral remained unscathed. "It's no good," Matt shook his head, "It just won't come off!"

"You're pathetic attempt make me laugh!" the Digimon Emperor chortled. "No matter what you do, MetalGreymon will remain mine and so will the rest of the Digital World!"

"There's got to be some way to get through to MetalGreymon!" Tai growled, clenching his fists.

"Don't worry," Kagome tried reassuring her brother, "we're not giving up anytime soon."

"We'll do everything we can to get our friend back," Matt nodded. "Right Garurumon?"

"RRRRRRight!" the wolf-like Digimon rolled out in agreement.

"But this time, you're going to have to fight with us, Davis," the elder blonde told Davis.

"But—" the maroon-haired boy protested, a hesitant look present on his face.

"Davis," Kagome spoke, "You know that you want to help Agumon, but what are you and Raidramon to each other?"

Both Digimon and partner looked at each other before turning back to the raven-haired teen. "We're partners—" Davis began.

"And friends!" Raidramon nodded.

"So don't you think you should be fighting with each other?" Kagome suggested.

"Kagome's right," T.K nodded, "This time, when you fight, you're gonna do it right!"

Davis looked at his friends one by one and saw the determined expressions on their faces. "You're right," he conceded, "I haven't really been thinking about everyone else, but this time I'm definitely gonna make it up to all of you!"

"Let's go!" Raidramon knelt down a bit and waited for his partner to clamber onto his back.

"Let's give it our best shot, Raidramon!" Davis told his Digimon. And with that, both Digimon and their riders took off for the Digimon that was their friend.

"Howling Blaster!"

"Lightning Blade!"

MetalGreymon dodged Garurumon's attack, but wasn't able to step past the lightning blade Raidramon sent at the Dark Spiral.

The group watched apprehensively as the Dark Spiral crackled with electricity for a few moments before disintegrating altogether.

"It's off!" Yolei exclaimed.

"Thank goodness," Kagome sighed in relief.

"WHAT?!" the Digimon Emperor shouted in outrage.

A golden glow overtook MetalGreymon's figure as he shrunk back down to Agumon, leaving the Digimon Emperor to fall back onto an Airdramon that took off in another direction.

"He doesn't look very happy…" Kagome muttered, watching the preteen ride off before turning back to her brother. She sweat-dropped when she found both her brother and his partner crying over each other and saying how sorry each of them were.

"It's nice to know that they care," Matt said softly, "But don't you think this is getting a little too dramatic?"

Kagome giggled quietly. "Don't tell me that you wouldn't burst into tears if something like this happened to Garurumon?"

Matt flushed and began stuttered. "W-Well—I—You see—"

"You were saying?" Garurumon asked amusedly.

"Oh be quiet," Matt grumbled.

Ciao,

TsukiyoTenshi