Taichi sank to his knees in the blood-mixed mud. It felt as if a huge steel
weight was pressing on his shoulders and neck. His hands hit the ground, too.
His eyes closed, blurring out the tears that threatened to cascade down his
scratched and bleeding face. Yamato looked at his friend in pity, then surveyed
the surroundings. It had turned into a dying hell in seconds. The trees that had stood
were broken and in ashes, their limbs torn out and scattered mercilessly along
the landscape. There grass that remained was charred black, and the stream that had
been running was reduced to a trickle. He heard a small cough, then a sob. "Matt..."
came the voice of his brother. "Takeru!" he shouted, trying to locate his voice.
He noticed the cave that the rest of the team had run into. It was now blocked with
boulders, cemented by a mud slide. How could one Digimon's death have done so
much? He called MetalGarurumon over, and the metal wolflike Digimon quickly pushed over
a boulder blocking the cave entrance. Yamato ran inside. His little brother was
crying hard, but other than that he looked okay. Yamato reached for Takeru, but the
child drew away. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Your...hands..." The blonde quickly
looked at them. The brown gloves were torn partly away, and they were covered with blood
and cuts. Jou polished his glasses and gave them to him. "Take a look at yourself. We almost
didn't recognize you when you first came in." He looked at his reflection. The boy had a deep
cut along his face that looked like it had been made with a dagger, and the gel he usually used
in his hair had lost some of hold, leaving part of it hanging over his face. The tall boy looked at
him sympatheticly. "Get really beat up out there, huh?" Yamato paused. "No..."
Koushiro furrowed his brow. "Then what happened?" He shook his head, and kept shaking it.
Hikari, who had her face buried in Mimi's dress, gasped and ran outside. "Taichi! TAICHI!"
she shouted, tripping in the mud once, barely stopping to get up. She reached her brother,
face down in the dirt. She shook his shoulder gently, and he sat up, looking completely
unaware of his surroundings. "Taichi, what happened out there?" she asked. His mouth moved,
but no sound came out. Two identical streams of tears came down his cheeks, making clean streaks.
The rest of the Chosen Children came out of the cave and looked down at their leader. He stared
blankly ahead, looking as if he didn't know if they were alive. Or even if he himself was alive.
Takeru looked at his disheviled brother. "Where's Sora?" He didn't have to answer. Everyone
was silent as they looked at the barren landscape. An electronic beep was heard. "Message from
Gennai." Koushiro said, emotionless. He pressed a button and a figure of a wizened old man
popped up. "I'm sorry about your friend Sora." he said. Koushiro nodded. "Thanks for the
sympathy." Gennai glanced at Taichi. "Some are taking it harder than others, huh?" he asked. Taichi
jerked his head toward Gennai and shouted, "Why did Sora have to die!" The tears came faster now,
yet he spoke on. "She was such a good person..." His voice cracked. "Gennai, why? Why?"
He closed his eyes. The computer figure shook his head. "Taichi, it's not your..." He trailed off and
heaved a deep sigh. "When Greymon evolved into Skullgreymon, viruses were sent out. They tried to attack
each of your Digimon, but your hearts managed to hold them off. Instead, copies of the eight Digimon were
made by the virus and then infested. What you saw there was MerameraAgumon. It's the strongest of the
eight viruses, because it was the core of them." Yamato's eyes darkened. "How are we going to defeat
the rest of them?" Gennai smiled. "That's the good news. Sora's sacrifice has givin each of you the power
to evolve in a whole new way." Mimi tried to smile. "Hear that, Palmon? You'll be able to evolve
besides Togemon and Lilymon." Palmon gave a small smile back. Gennai's image was beginning to fade.
"Quick, I need to talk to you in person! You can find me..." The man shouted before the connection was lost.
Wargreymon shouted over to the others, "Garudamon is starting to wake up!" He winced. "Garuda-chan, do
you think you can stand up? I need to de-evolve." She nodded, and slowy stood up. "Sora's...gone,
isn't she?" Wargreymon bowed his head. The monolithic bird digimon closed her eyes. Wargreymon de-evolved
back into Koromon and hopped into Taichi's waiting arms. Garudamon gave a forced sigh, and de-evolved herself
back into Pyocomon. Mimi ran over to pick her up. "Where are you going to go now?" she asked. "I don't know.
I think I'll stay with you for awhile, then eventually die." Tears blurred Mimi's eyes. "You can't die, too..."
she whispered. "I have too. I'm linked with Sora. I can feel her calling, even right now."
weight was pressing on his shoulders and neck. His hands hit the ground, too.
His eyes closed, blurring out the tears that threatened to cascade down his
scratched and bleeding face. Yamato looked at his friend in pity, then surveyed
the surroundings. It had turned into a dying hell in seconds. The trees that had stood
were broken and in ashes, their limbs torn out and scattered mercilessly along
the landscape. There grass that remained was charred black, and the stream that had
been running was reduced to a trickle. He heard a small cough, then a sob. "Matt..."
came the voice of his brother. "Takeru!" he shouted, trying to locate his voice.
He noticed the cave that the rest of the team had run into. It was now blocked with
boulders, cemented by a mud slide. How could one Digimon's death have done so
much? He called MetalGarurumon over, and the metal wolflike Digimon quickly pushed over
a boulder blocking the cave entrance. Yamato ran inside. His little brother was
crying hard, but other than that he looked okay. Yamato reached for Takeru, but the
child drew away. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Your...hands..." The blonde quickly
looked at them. The brown gloves were torn partly away, and they were covered with blood
and cuts. Jou polished his glasses and gave them to him. "Take a look at yourself. We almost
didn't recognize you when you first came in." He looked at his reflection. The boy had a deep
cut along his face that looked like it had been made with a dagger, and the gel he usually used
in his hair had lost some of hold, leaving part of it hanging over his face. The tall boy looked at
him sympatheticly. "Get really beat up out there, huh?" Yamato paused. "No..."
Koushiro furrowed his brow. "Then what happened?" He shook his head, and kept shaking it.
Hikari, who had her face buried in Mimi's dress, gasped and ran outside. "Taichi! TAICHI!"
she shouted, tripping in the mud once, barely stopping to get up. She reached her brother,
face down in the dirt. She shook his shoulder gently, and he sat up, looking completely
unaware of his surroundings. "Taichi, what happened out there?" she asked. His mouth moved,
but no sound came out. Two identical streams of tears came down his cheeks, making clean streaks.
The rest of the Chosen Children came out of the cave and looked down at their leader. He stared
blankly ahead, looking as if he didn't know if they were alive. Or even if he himself was alive.
Takeru looked at his disheviled brother. "Where's Sora?" He didn't have to answer. Everyone
was silent as they looked at the barren landscape. An electronic beep was heard. "Message from
Gennai." Koushiro said, emotionless. He pressed a button and a figure of a wizened old man
popped up. "I'm sorry about your friend Sora." he said. Koushiro nodded. "Thanks for the
sympathy." Gennai glanced at Taichi. "Some are taking it harder than others, huh?" he asked. Taichi
jerked his head toward Gennai and shouted, "Why did Sora have to die!" The tears came faster now,
yet he spoke on. "She was such a good person..." His voice cracked. "Gennai, why? Why?"
He closed his eyes. The computer figure shook his head. "Taichi, it's not your..." He trailed off and
heaved a deep sigh. "When Greymon evolved into Skullgreymon, viruses were sent out. They tried to attack
each of your Digimon, but your hearts managed to hold them off. Instead, copies of the eight Digimon were
made by the virus and then infested. What you saw there was MerameraAgumon. It's the strongest of the
eight viruses, because it was the core of them." Yamato's eyes darkened. "How are we going to defeat
the rest of them?" Gennai smiled. "That's the good news. Sora's sacrifice has givin each of you the power
to evolve in a whole new way." Mimi tried to smile. "Hear that, Palmon? You'll be able to evolve
besides Togemon and Lilymon." Palmon gave a small smile back. Gennai's image was beginning to fade.
"Quick, I need to talk to you in person! You can find me..." The man shouted before the connection was lost.
Wargreymon shouted over to the others, "Garudamon is starting to wake up!" He winced. "Garuda-chan, do
you think you can stand up? I need to de-evolve." She nodded, and slowy stood up. "Sora's...gone,
isn't she?" Wargreymon bowed his head. The monolithic bird digimon closed her eyes. Wargreymon de-evolved
back into Koromon and hopped into Taichi's waiting arms. Garudamon gave a forced sigh, and de-evolved herself
back into Pyocomon. Mimi ran over to pick her up. "Where are you going to go now?" she asked. "I don't know.
I think I'll stay with you for awhile, then eventually die." Tears blurred Mimi's eyes. "You can't die, too..."
she whispered. "I have too. I'm linked with Sora. I can feel her calling, even right now."