Disclaimer: Who owns Digimon

Disclaimer: Who owns Digimon? The correct answer Regis, is not me. Final answer.

Author's Note: It takes a long time to write these things. With school back on, I don't know if I'll be able to do it as well. Besides, I think I set a goal too ambitious for myself. Nevertheless, I will try. For those who are still reading thanks a lot! It's still blasted long, isn't it?

Episode V

The Power Restored

TK's voiceover: We went on a really long walk to get away from Khartan's forces, but we ended up trapped by this new evil guy Reaver, who knows some weird martial arts. We got away, thanks to a strange voice, to meet Babamon, a wise old Digimon. She gave Davis a crest, the crest of Loyalty. How cool is that?

"So, you say the forces of Darkness were defeated? How odd."

"Yeah, the guy watching everything said something like Fourth Wing's entire Order of Battle." TK watched Babamon as she suddenly froze with her tea cup halfway to her mouth. After a moment she set it down.

"Fourth Wing in Refarhk? What are they doing there?"

"Is something wrong?" Kari asked quietly, trying not to disturb any of the other sleeping people or Digimon in the next room.

"No, no…He is there, I am certain of it." Babamon stared at the ceiling, her mind clearly leagues away.

"Who?" TK wanted to know.

"Justice. It would have to be. I know it. Refarhk is too far out of the way to be anything else but a deliberately planned assault, and he never does anything without a reason. He's up to something and it's big."

"What does that mean?" Kari asked.

"I don't know. I must admit, strategy was never my strong point. However, I expect that it means that you may expect no help from them."

"Why not? They got us into this?" TK sounded bitter, even to himself.

"Because they have neither time nor effort to spare. They are on a campaign to liberate worlds. The survival of one borderworld is nothing to what they will gain if they can penetrate their enemies defenses." Babamon looked up at the ceiling. "Although they wish you the best, they will be unable to help you."

"What does the Dark want?" Kari asked, eyes darting around at the shadows nearby.

"Power, souls, life, wealth…" Babamon hesitated for a moment, her tea cup poised carefully in front of her old lips, her eyes uncannily sharp. "…you."

"Us?" the two humans asked.

"No. You. Kari. She is perhaps the most useful of you all." Babamon swallowed a sip of tea, but her eyes never wavered, resting knowingly on the suddenly pale girl in front of her.

"Me? Why me?"

"The crest you were given, that of Light, is perhaps one of the most powerful of the fundamental forces of creation. It embodies a tremendous power, one that cannot easily be matched. However, you have accessed the power, but you are also the weakest of those who have. TK has the same power, but his is not as developed, and his defenses are stronger. Your early exposure, your innocence, has left you the weakest of them all. If they can take you and turn you to their side, it will give them a victory over the Light that will be not easy to reverse. Therefore, you have become a prime target."

"Is there any way we can protect Kari?" TK jerked forward, eyes gleaming in shock.

"There exists a ring that can hide her power and help ward her from the easy access of darkness. It is a powerful ring of warding, forged by the Original bearer of the Seal of Light out of the heart of a rainbow. It can keep the Dark from finding her, and can hold her fears and nightmares at bay."

"Do you know where it is?" TK's eyes were narrowed in an obscure pain, his jaw clenched with veins standing out. The anger and fear in his voice were clearly evident.

Babamon sipped her tea again before answering in a dry voice. "It is on her right hand."

Kari jerked upright like she had been slapped and held out her hand. The ivory ring glinted in the pale firelight, sending flashes of rainbow color throughout the room. "You mean this?" she asked, almost breathlessly.

"I mean that. I have no idea of the true scope of its powers, but it should serve you well."

TK seemed to breathe again. So did Kari. After a moment, she asked a question.

"So, will you be coming with us on our journey?"

"No, I will not. I will stay in my protected houses and stay safe, as few would pester an old woman, no?"

"But…"

"Allay your fears young lady. I may not look it, but a Mega Digimon am I, and my power is that of misdirection and avoidance. I will not be found, not until I am ready. It is you who must act to save the world."

Not this again.

Ken could hear himself think the words as he watched spellbound. In front of him, intangible, yet incredibly real, was the image of the Digimon emperor, whip lashing at the helpless Digimon in front of him. And there, among them, heads bowed under the weight of the dark spirals around their necks, bowed the other Digidestined. He watched as the whip reached up and descended again and again, on Davis, on Cody, on Kari, on TK. On Yolei. He listened to each of them rear up, screams filling the air as the heavy whip slammed down on their backs. He watched the tears roll down their faces. And he screamed in impotent fury at the uncaring sky.

"No! This never happened! It didn't end like this!"

From the mist behind the Emperor he could see the shape of Oikawa materialize, dark and foreboding as always, coming up from behind like he had every other time Ken had experienced this same nightmare. But instead of ordering still more tortures upon the Digidestined the tall man in black raised a heavy hand and opened his mouth.

"STOP!" he roared, his voice echoing over the desert of the dream. "In the name of the eternal Light, be ye gone! By the power of Citadel, fortress of Ages, I cast you from this place, for all time!"

The Emperor turned around, but this time the voice that was emitted from his throat was no mockery of Ken, but a roar of a deeper, darker evil, within which resounded the echoes of the Dark Ocean. "You think that you can drive me out of here old man? You are more a fool than I thought."

"I have the power, and now I have the right." Oikawa's figure was unchanged.

"Here, in what was once the Heart of Darkness?" the Emperor's voice was suddenly louder than before.

"Yes, even here." Oikawa's response was level and even.

"And even Darkness can have a Heart. And it is that which may prove your undoing." A new figure appeared, BlackWarGreymon, towering beside Oikawa, one claw flung out in ghastly challenge.

"Begone from here! Your power is used up, and now, the tide has changed. Begone!" At the last work, Oikawa's arm exploded into rainbow incandescence. The figure of the emperor shrank up and evaporated before that light. Then the light faded and there was only Oikawa and BlackWarGreymon, looking as they had moments before they used their energy to protect the Digital World.

"So, Ken, I see that you've changed much." Oikawa's voice was cheerful now, and somehow wistful. "I'm glad that horrid black spore didn't affect you after it was removed."

"Mr. Oikawa?" Ken's voice was reduced to a whisper, barely echoing in the domains of the now empty desert. "BlackWarGreymon? Is that really you?"

"Yes it is Ken Ichijoji." BlackWarGreymon smiled, a tight lipped vicious looking smile, but a genuine one. "I regret that in life I did not even learn your name, but now I am prepared to make up for my grievous folly."

"How did you get here?" Ken asked slowly.

"Sacrificing ourselves to help protect the Digital World gave us certain powers and certain insight. We can aide those who seek to protect the worlds in strange ways. And today, we could drive out the demon that was plaguing your dreams, making you forget what you are." Mr. Oikawa smiled, the smile of a man who knows that finally he has found a purpose in life.

"By becoming protector's of the worlds we found our true purpose in life, something that helped us gain control over who and what we are. We hope that you, like us, are now comfortable with what you once were." The Mega Black Digimon's voice rolled over the emptiness around them.

"Remember to be true to yourself. You're stronger and better than you realize." Mr. Oikawa raised one hand, as if in farewell.

"Good luck former adversary, may you fight well." BlackWarGreymon raised one claw in an unmistakable salute. A warrior saluting an ally, a gesture of promise and trust. And then they faded away.

Ken woke up gasping, looking around wildly. The house was quiet, even Davis' snoring remained somewhat subdued. The only change was the armband he had gotten from Courage, which was glowing an incandescent white.

Tai sat at watch and scratched Agumon's head carefully. Behind him the fire sparked and crackled as the next set of logs tried to burn themselves up. Agumon was half sleeping, but he was still awake, aware of the turbulent thoughts swimming through his partner's head.

"What's wrong Tai?" he asked after a while.

"Nothing." Tai stated flatly, and then sighed. "No, I guess it is something. I was just wondering if I was still fit to be the leader."

"What do you mean? You're a great leader." Agumon jerked up, eyes brimming with sincerity.

"I was once. I guess I'm decisive enough, but think of all the times I nearly got us killed just because I was trying to be a hero. Or listening to my anger. Then it almost got us killed, and I think that we can't risk that again."

"Tai, you can't doubt yourself. You do a great job."

"Yeah right. I do a lousy job. Look at that last battle. All I could think of was running in and blasting everything in sight. Izzy would make a much better leader than I would ever be."

"Tai, you can't say that. You have to believe in yourself. Everyone else does." Agumon was nearly frantic with worry about how Tai was sounding.

"Do they? I just don't know…" and then Tai fell silent and stopped speaking until Sora relieved him of his watch.

Joe listened to Sora settle down in her makeshift bed and watched the stars above him. Behind him Gomamon fed the fire to keep it from burning out.

After a while, there was a familiar weight settling down on his right and a clawed hand rested on his leg. "So, what ya' thinking of buddy?"

"Nothing."

"C'mon Joe, you've got to be thinking of something."

"I was just looking at the stars. Wondering about them. They've stayed the same since our first night in the Digital World. I still recognize some of the constellations. They always stay the same." Joe sighed and watched some more stars pass.

"Not like you guys." Gomamon's voice in the dark was followed by an unusually large crackle of a burning log.

"What do you mean Gomamon?" Joe asked, still watching the fireworks show above.

"Four years ago, you wouldn't even have dreamed of coming along with us, would you? After all, you wanted to study to get into med school, and all that. If we had asked you to help save the world, you would have turned it down, wouldn't you?"

"Well, I guess…"

"But this time, you guys didn't have to come, and you came anyway. That's what matters. Isn't it?"

"Hmm…you have a point there." Joe watched a shooting star flash by briefly overhead before turning sideways to watch his partner. Gomamon looked serious for once.

"All of you have changed, a lot. You might not believe it, but the powers of your crests have settled in you, and it shows. You're a lot more responsible now than you used to be."

"Well, I don't know about me but…"

"Oh really." You could have cut logs with the sarcasm in Gomamon's voice. "Who dug the fire pit this evening instead of letting us light a fire in the middle of a field of dry tinder? Who thought of making an extra pair of chopsticks? Who kept those huge nutshells we found in the field because he knew they would make great water bottles? Who made a rope out of vines in case we needed somewhere to dry laundry? Could it possibly have been good old reliable Joe?"

"Gomamon! That was just…you know…stuff…right?"

"But it's stuff that you do because you feel responsible. It's the power of your crest that settled into your heart. It makes you responsible."

"I see. I never thought of it that way."

"You should Joe. You really should."

"Well, so much for breakfast. Now what?" Mimi streched.

"I don't know. Any ideas?" Tai spoke tiredly, as if he were considering something.

"I think we better plan ahead." Matt suggested. "Where do we go now."

"The best route is probably through those canyons up ahead. It will be hard to find us in them, and they run into the sea later on, and we can follow the beach a little way." Izzy pointed to a spot on his computer where the ocean was clearly visible.

"Hmmm…canyons, sounds good Izzy. Nobody from up here will see us there."

"What kind of terrain?" Sora asked. Biyomon looked unconcerned, but she could always fly if she needed to.

"What you'd expect from this place. Rocks, sand, a lot of uneven ground, not much there until we get to the ocean. They must get some rough weather to drive off all the fertile soil."

Joe looked around at the pleasant veranda of trees that loomed around them. "That means that this could be our last chance for good food for a while, right? So maybe I should spend some time gathering supplies while we wait."

"Good idea Joe." Tai nodded. "Why don't you take Matt with you, just in case you get into trouble."

"Sure." Joe pointed out to where the trees were thickest and started walking. "You coming Matt?"

"Whatever." Matt mumbled, but his grin was bright.

They walked some distance into the wood before Joe saw what he had been looking for, bushes loaded with the berries that his Field Guide had suggested they eat, along with a collection of the plants with the healthy, potato-like shrubs.

"Why don't we get started Matt. You can grab the cheap potatoes and I'll pack the berries into something." Matt nodded and started to uproot the plants on the ground, carefully removing their roots and placing them in a folded leaf.

Joe looked around for a moment before spotting what he was looking for, a tall tree with a set of large gourds hanging from them. A few blasts from Gabumon, and he had knocked down five of them. Using Gabumon's blue blaster, he was able to blast out the insides, and polish them clean. Then he and Gomamon filled three of them nearly to bursting with the bright purplish berries.

After a moment of thought, he filled the other two with spring water from nearby, sealing them off with pieces of wood that he quickly whittled into corks with Gomamon's claws. Tying them to his back with some of that vine rope that he had used earlier, he started back to camp with Matt following right behind.

"I don't know what we'd do without you." Matt's voice, unusually soft, spoke up out of nowhere.

"What do you mean Matt?" Joe managed to keep from dropping his load.

"Well, you're always looking after us and everything. We never would have thought of being this prepared. I guess you keep an eye on all the mundane things. It's probably saved us more times than I can remember."

"Thanks Matt." Joe choked back a quick gulp, knowing how rare praise of that kind was from the normally quiet rock star.

"No problem Joe, that's what friends are for."

"So why is there only one gate to other worlds, if there are many gates to Earth?" Sora wanted to know as they wandered along.

"I'm not sure if there is just one gate." Izzy speculated as they walked along. "Remember Apoclymon?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, remember how Gennai told us he got here."

"Sure." Biyomon chimed in. "He came through the wall of fire."

"Like all the names in that incarnation of the Digital World, it has a significance. Obviously, it is a parallel of a firewall, a powerful defense mechanism set up to separate one computer system from another. But what system are they defending against?"

"Hmmm…you could be right." Joe mused.

"My theory is that the Digital World is connected there to another world, a world of darkness. It is through the wall of fire that the Digital World is protected, but that implies the existence of another gate to another world. There could be still more, the Digital World is not mapped like Earth is."

"So why would that be?" Sora still looked puzzled.

"I think there are many worlds like our world, and that they all have their shadow worlds, worlds where ideas and dreams collide. My theory is that it is those worlds that are connected throughout the universe. So the Digital World would be strongly connected to Earth, and only weakly connected to other worlds."

"You came up with that all by yourself? I'm impressed." Sora smiled.

"Actually, I didn't. At least, not now. It's an idea that Ken, Willis and I have been kicking around for a while. But some evidence here, especially the mention of other worlds, has seemed to confirm it."

"So there are many connections to many different worlds,"

"Sort of, it's like, well, I can't describe it. Just imagine hundreds of worlds, all interconnected with some worlds. The device that we used the key cards in Myotismon's castle on must be the way in which you transport to more distant worlds."

"You think we can stop others from using them for evil?" Mimi asked, looking over there shoulders.

"I don't think we can Mimi…" Izzy voice trailed off as he absently rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Why not? Shouldn't we at least try?"

"No, I mean I don't think it's necessary. It seems that Gennai's group is taking care of that, and they have a lot more abilities than we seem to, some that we don't understand at all. He'll have to take care of it."

"Can he, I mean…"

"Judging from the power that was exerted by those who brought us here, I would answer in the affirmative."

There was a buzz overhead. Tentomon, who had flown upwards to scout out what was going on above them descended down to the ground, folding his wings up under his shell as he landed. "I think there's another one of those towers up there, but it's pretty far away. I don't think they can see into the canyons."

"That's bad." Tai muttered, almost under his breath. "That means that this Daemon guy has the whole area staked out. We gotta be careful and avoid him, until we're strong enough to fight him."

"Well, it can't be too bad. After all, they have to watch this place an awful lot. You would think that they would be exhausted by now, and be pretty inattentive." Izzy looked thoughtful again. "They shouldn't be paying so much attention."

"We could sneak up to them and wipe some of them out." Agumon suggested, waving a claw in the air.

"Or we could not." Biyomon replied. "No sense telling them we're here."

"Yeah." Joe spoke up. "And besides, it's always better…"

"…to be safe than to be sorry." Everyone concluded with a groan.

"Joe, you haven't changed a bit." Tai gave him a big thumbs up.

"Well, we might as well take a lunch break." Gomamon snickered at the gathering red in Joe's face. "After all, we're not really getting anywhere."

"I guess you're right." Joe noted.

"You should stop worrying about it Tai." The voice came over his shoulder as the leader of the Digidestined stared aimlessly down the canyons, absently chewing on his handful of berries.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Tai jerked his head around at the voice, but the tone had already identified the speaker. Joe stood there, long hair framing his face, staring down kindly at Tai through his glasses. Quietly he removed the pair of glasses and polished them on his shirt before putting them back on.

"You worry to much about your leadership skills Tai. We all believe in you. Isn't that enough of a reason to believe in yourself." Joe smiled at him.

"Joe…I wasn't…I…" Tai stammered.

"You want to talk about it?" Joe sat down beside him.

"Yeah. I just, I don't know if I can do it Joe. I don't know if I can lead us.

"I know. And I know that you can." Joe did not even seemed phased by Tai's confession.

"Doesn't that worry you at all?"

Joe stared up at the sky for a moment before replying. "I think one thing that we learned while we were here the first time was that the most important thing about being a Digidestined is being a Digidestined. We're part of the family you know."

"But what if someone can't pull their weight? I can't think up plans like Izzy can, or cover all the details like you do, or cheer them up like Mimi does. What can I do?"

"You can believe in yourself. We all believe in you Tai. Every one. Izzy may plan better than you, but you act better in emergencies. That's why we let you be the leader. Because you're the best."

"What about you Joe? You still having problems?"

"No, I think I understand my role here now. Someone has to look out for everyone else, make sure that we stay safe. That's what the crest of Responsibility means Tai. It isn't about rushing out and saving us all, like you do. It's about keeping everybody safe. And that's what I have to do."

"You've changed Joe."

"Yeah, it's probably the food."

"No you really have changed. Ever since those first days at File Island you've changed a lot from the person you once were. You've become almost a copy of your crest. So why can't I do the same thing?"

"Because we're different people Tai, way different people. Everything you do is geared towards keeping your head in the face of overwhelming danger. Your instinct is to charge ahead. And now Kari's in danger, and there's nowhere for you to charge."

"I guess you're right."

"Probably."

"It's just that…I never wanted Kari to grow up. Sometimes it seems that she's just a little kid, and that I should be there to protect her. When she was with the other kids the first time, I felt that she would be all right, but now…I don't know Joe. It seems that we're involved with something much more dangerous, a lot more dangerous than anything we've ever done before. Is she ready for that?"

Joe absently picked up a rock and tossed it, watching it bounce down a hillside. His eyes followed its path, but the intensity of his gaze belied his innocent purpose. For a moment he saw Kari as a laughing, skipping girl, first encountering the Digital World. A moment later that was overlayed with another vision, a confident girl in pink and white commanding a squad of unruly Digimon in battle. And other memories intruded, a boy, younger, wearing a stained sweater, and scratched glasses, squaring off with Puppetmon and MetalEtemon, raising his fist in preparation for battle.

"She doesn't have to be ready Tai. None of us are ready. But she knows the job. She knows what she has to do. It's that meaning, that purpose inside of us that drives us, not the necessity of being ready. As long as she is willing to do what she knows needs to be done, and knowing Kari, she's always ready, she'll triumph. You gave her a good example, and now it's her moment to shine."

Tai stared for a moment at nothing. In his eyes he could still see his sister, with her fragile health, being taken to the hospital. He could watch her collapse with fever near the city of Machinedramon, and watch her terror as she was whisked off to a new world. But in front of them, there was another image, a girl, already transfroming into the full maturity of age, holding up one hand, exploding with pink light as she challenged the forces of darkness. And he came to realization.

Even though he still thought of Kari as a little sister, as a baby, almost incapable of defending or saving herself, she had changed. By the standards of the world she was young, but by her experience, she was old. Her power came from inside of her and made her strong, and changed her beyond the changes that mere years could wreak. It was that strength which had saved her time and time again, and now he could feel it, calm, confident, waiting to explode into full force. She was not his baby sister any more, but a champion in her own right, waiting to face the darkness once more.

Tai looked up at Joe, his gaze firming up. He smiled, and Joe smiled back, welcoming the new confidence that he saw in his leader's gaze.

Tai walked away, and thus missed the look of deep unease and half-hidden despair that flashed by Joe's face.

A chain's only as strong as its weakest link.

The thought echoed in Joe's head as he walked. I'm good at picking flowers and plants all right, and getting the team back together, but what about fighting? That's what we need, not a glorified crop harvester and apprentice doctor. What if I'm the one who is not good enough?

The thought plagued him. No matter how many times he turned it over in his head, his weakness plagued him. He was the weakest at fighting, the last to fight when it turned to combat. When facing someone like the Digimon emperor, with his control spires, misdirection and avoidance had been the key. Now, it looked like they were once more going to have to fight their way through to the end, and he wondered if he could do it.

He told himself that he was being silly, but if anything, his conversation with Tai reinforced his own doubts. All those skills he attributed to Kari and Tai, all those seemed to still be missing. At the same time, his own strengths seemed completely useless to this expedition.

"Guys, we've got a problem." Tai's voice upon cresting a small ridge of rock froze them all in their tracks. He hit the magnification of his goggles once, and Izzy slammed down his laptop, quickly inputing data.

"Yeah, we've got real problems." Matt looked at the readout as Izzy spoke up. "It's another village, and this time, they're under attack by a hole squadron of Raremon."

"Wonderful." Tentomon buzzed by Izzy's shoulder as the computer genius bent to his work. "The last time I tangled with him, I stank like a trash can for days."

"What's happening out there?" Mimi asked, chekcing her surroundings.

"It's a walled village, so they're holding out, but the Raremon are just destroying everything in sight. If they aren't stopped soon, they're won't be much left worth saving." Izzy's voice accelerated, as it always did when he was talking about danger.

"So what's the plan?" Sora asked, checking to make sure her Digivice was clear.

"Tai?" Izzy asked, redirecting the question.

"There are only nine Raremon. If we hit them hard and fast, we can use our teamwork to turn the tide, right?"

"Hard and fast sounds good." Agumon responded. "Let's get them, shall we?"

"Time to go guys!" Sora stood up.

Agumon…digivolves to…Greymon

Gabumon…digivolves to…Garurumon

Biyomon…digivolves to….Birdramon

Tentomon…digivolves to…Kabuterimon

Palmon…digivolves to…Togemon

Gomamon…digivolves to…Ikkakumon

"Let's get them!" Tai yelled.

Joe got his first glimpse of the scene as he swung up onto Ikkakumon's back, below his massive horn. He had learned the hard way not to ride to close to the launching platform for the mighty Harpoon Torpedo attack. The village was walled by a gray material that looked pretty tough, but the area around it was covered in trees and did not look very safe. Several acres were obviously recently destroyed. Beyond the village the ocean spread off to the horizon, sparkling blue and green as if in denial of the horrible scene at its shores. The nine Raremon, disgusting gray slugs, were sitting around, randomly shooting at things. From inside, an occasional blast of fire responded, but mostly the battle seemed to consist of the Raremon blasting everything they could blow up.

"Ikkakumon, let's see if we can't get those guys in the water. If what Izzy told me is true, they swim. If we can lead them away from the village…"

"I got you Joe."

"Good idea Joe." Tai shouted, raising a fist from his precarious perch on top of Greymon's head. "Ikkakumon can swim better than anyone in the water. If you can lead them away from the village, we can ambush them when they come back."

"Harpoon Torpedo!" the first shot roared up and away, exploding all over the first Raremon. The massive Champion swung up, enraged at the explosion that wracked his sides, howling in rage at his adversary. At the same moment Biyomon and Kabuterimon swept in, unleashing fire on the wounded Champion. It evaporated in a flash of disintegrating digital data.

"All right!" Tai yelled.

"They appear to be weaker than our Champions. I think we can route them pretty easily." Izzy was speaking into his D3, his words echoing through their own devices.

"Let's get them!" Matt yelled.

"Head for the water Ikkakumon." Joe ordered, feeling the wind stream through his hair. As the massive Digimon entered the water, he jumped off his back, no mean feat for an object moving at that velocity.

But the Raremon refused to take the bait. Ikkakumon pummeled them, but they refused to follow him into the water. The other Champions circled around them, firing rapidly into them, shots of fire and electricity filling the air, but the Raremon were simply not responding.

Joe watched in utter horror as two Raremon expired in flashes of deletion. Another volley of Breath of Decays flashed out, but Garurumon and Greymon were already dodging. Izzy dodged their fire easily, hanging onto Kabuterimon's back with a smile on his face. Mimi was frowning at her opponents as Togemon moved into the field, boxing gloves held at the ready. Sora shouted at her flying companion as she continued blasting everything on the ground.

Joe frowned and looked up at Kabuterimon before grabbing his D3 and running toward the village. From the top of the wall a ladder was dropped, unrolling as it fell, and a handful of rookies climbed out, led by an Agumon.

"You guys got here right in time. I'm not sure how much more we could have held out before their reinforcements got here."

"Reinforcements?" Joe nearly screamed, opening a communication channel with Izzy. "Izzy, we may have trouble."

"I know, those Raremon are hopelessly outmatched. Why are they just standing there? It makes no sense."

"The Digimon here say that there are reinforcements on the way."

"That might explain it. Kabuterimon, we have to finish this now!"

"I'm trying." The deep voice sounded aggravated as another set of Electro Shockers exploded along the ground with the force of giant anvils. The Raremon scattered back, but they were still there. The numbers were now in the favor of the good guys, as another Raremon bit the dust, but there were still five more, and sooner or later they would really be in trouble.

"Joe!" Ikkakumon's gruff voice broke through his reverie. Behind him he could see Ikkakumon looking down the beach, where something new had appeared. Light flashed off sharp blades as a new fighter swam through the shallow water at the seashore to attack, a very familiar Digimon.

"Scorpiomon." Joe's voice was flat, but he was thinking furiously. Izzy was still ahead of him.

"Bad news guys. Incoming Ultimate, and my laptop is registering new signatures, weak ones, sort of like Bakemon or Veggiemon, incoming from the land side. We can't fight all of them, we've got enough problems with the Raremon. We're going to need to get out of here."

Joe turned to the Agumon and some of the other Digimon who had clustered around. "Can you guys run with us?"

"No." the Agumon looked into his eyes. "We have a lot of injured Digimon and in-trainings running around. We can't go with you, we lack the strength. You are the Digidestined, we know, you can save this world. Escape without us."

"Nova Blast!"

Tai ran up. "C'mon Joe, we have to go, right now. If we don't escape now, we won't be able to help anyone."

"No, we're not going!" Joe yelled, turning full fury on Tai. "We're not leaving, not this time. Look at these Digimon, they need help."

"Go ahead, you're more important than us." The Agumon yelled.

"Shut up you! And you Tai! We have to help them!" Joe was yelling now.

Izzy, Sora, Matt and Mimi ran up while their Digimon continued fighting.

"Joe, we tried, but it's over." Matt told him quietly.

"We need to escape if we hope to ever overcome this evil." Izzy noted clinically.

"Shut up! What will they do to you?" he asked the Agumon standing there.

The Digimon met his gaze for a few moments before lowering his eyes. "They'll kill us. We rebelled against Daemon. We're finished. But you don't have to be. Go, go now!"

"Meteor Wing!"

A blast of fire landed near another Raremon, but it fired back, and Birdramon quickly began to weave through the sky, evading the fire.

"Tai, we have to stay here. We have to fight."

"It's not going to work this time Joe. We have to try again." Sora was looking at him concerned.

"Come on Joe! We don't have the time to waste!" Mimi was yelling too.

"They're going to die guys." Joe's voice was level again. For the first time in a long time, everything started to make sense to him.

"Harpoon Torpedo!" A huge missile rose into the air plunging down at the Scorpiomon who was pouring his way across the sand. The blow hardly phased him.

"We're out of time Joe!" Tai shouted, watching the Ultimate creep closer.

"No Tai, it's time we woke up. We're the Digidestined, remember that?"

"Tail Blade!" A bolt of blue fire shot through the air and hammered into Ikkakumon. The massive, white-furred Digimon toppled over sideways, howling in pain, but valiantly trying to stay upright.

"The Digidestined. It's not something we can just ignore, some badge that we can just take off whenever we don't feel like doing the job. It's our job and we've got to do it. Sometimes life's full of things we don't like, but when you're the only person who can do it, you have to."

In the distance Ikkakumon howled again, and Joe could feel his heart sink even more, but it was clear, and so was the path he had to take.

"It's our responsibility Tai. It's what we have to do."

The others were looking at him strangely, their faces beginning to fade as if they were standing too near the sun, vanishing in a flare of light. Joe vaguely saw Izzy raise one hand and point at him. If he said anything, Joe didn't hear it, but he looked down and realized what Izzy had been pointing at.

On his chest, where his tag and crest had once hung, glowing with the pure white light of an ancient star, was the engraved cross-like symbol of the Crest of Reliability, flaming bravely against the darkness. Throwing back his head, Joe let the power explode out of him, watched it arc over the sea and strike its target.

Ikkakumon….Digivolves to….

The ocean reached up to swallow the white furred sea mammal, swirling around him, and then a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, smashing downward, solidifying into a block of steel-gray metal in a gray hand. A huge creature rose upright from the waves, holding a massive hammer in once vast claw.

"Zudomon!"

"Hey Zudomon! Perfect timing. Time to go get him!"

"You got it Joe!" the massive Ultimate stalked toward Scorpiomon, who was now clearly having second thoughts.

"Tail Blade!"

Zudomon swung the massive metal hammer around in an arc, knocking the incoming blast of light out into the depths of the ocean. Scorpiomon began to back off, but suddenly circled as Zudomon began to stalk around him, forcing him up onto the beach.

"Flatten him Zudomon!" Mimi yelled.

"Everyone else, let's show those Raremon they can't mess with us!"

"Right!"

"Nova Blast!"

"Meteor Wing!"

"Electro Shocker!"

"Howling Blaster!"

"Needle Spray!"

The Scorpiomon suddenly darted forward, trying to evade, but his land speed was slow. Zudomon brought his hammer down with all his might, smashing it into the massive scoripon's armored carapace like a bolt from the heavens. Scorpiomon staggered back, the shell on its back cracking under the stress that it had received. Without pause Zudomon swung his hammer back up.

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

This time, when the hammer descended a bolt of lightning exploded at the base to meet it, drowning the world in the fire of the righteous, and dousing Scoripomon in yellow undulating light. When the light show finally died down, the massive Ultimate Digimon was no more, only scattered dust remaining.

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

No Champion could take too many shots from an enraged Ultimate, and the Raremon were no exception. They exploded into digital dust as the combination of attacks slammed into their tightly packed group.

"Way to go pal." Joe whispered to his ally.

Zudomon was surrounded by a white glow before returning to the form of Gomamon.

"Now can we get out of here?" Izzy asked.

"So what's the story?" Tai asked after a while.

The leader of the village they had freed spoke up. She turned out to be a Togemon, carrying one arm in a sling due to the earlier battle. She spoke in a quiet voice.

"Daemon started taking over the Digital World a few months ago. He has expanded his control slowly, so slowly that none of the other creatures who try to communce with the Digital World, such as you humans, would ever notice. Ever since, he has increased his powers. Now a rumor has reached us that Digimon are beginning to struggle against this oppression, that they are starting to take the fight to him instead. We were some of them."

"I see." Izzy thought. "With the help of other such Digimon, we could indeed increase our odds in our quest."

"Yeah, and what Joe did was totally awesome. If we can do that, we'll wipe the floor with those guys!" Tai interjected.

"Yeah. Joe's a really great guy. And a true hero now." Matt joined in, causing Joe to brush bright red.

"And if we can all get our crests to work, we'll have a huge advantage." Sora continued.

Joe continued to blush, but inside he was looking upward to the future.

Will it be enough?

Interlude – Courage

I wear the emblem of Courage as my symbol, my salvation in battle, the trait upon which I call to battle the forces of evil, yet I barely only comprehend its true meaning. I do not live its true power. Some days I wonder why I deserve it.

I have never known excessive fear. Sure, I have had my experiences with fearing failure, with running away from horror, with trying to escape despair. I have shrunk back from overwhelming odds and at times felt the cold, clammy gasp of the last stand grip at my heart as my body prepares for the end. But I have always found my solace in the crushing impact as the lines of battle are drawn. There life is simple, the enemy clear cut, and it is a kind of solace, a sanctuary to protect me from my fears. Courage is what I have, it is the code by which I enter battle, but that is only because I lack fear of those things.

Justice is perhaps the oddest of us all. He is a poet of sorts, and his verse has always impressed me with its quality. He is a peaceful sort of person, who strikes me as being perfectly at home drinking coffee or hot chocolate in some backcountry house, admiring the scenery around him. His art is that of the peaceful brook, the gently blowing wind and the scent of the trees and the crisp air that enchants him.

He is also a scientist, a researcher. For him the world is a mystical place, and he seeks to understand it to its entirety. I could see him living in an underground laboratory forever. I can also see him as a novelist or a literature professor, lying in bed or sitting in a plush armchair somewhere under the light of a lazy summer sun, enjoying his latest work, waiting for time to pass him by. I could see him teaching history somewhere, letting the sand and dirt of ages pour over his shoulders and bury him.

But he is, by necessity none of those things.

"This is Marlborough, third squadron standing by."

"Pericles here, second squadron standing by."

"Trajan, first squadron is in position and awaiting orders."

I know that on his desk, in his private cabin, there lies a piece that he has started writing. I only remember a single piece of it.

We do what we must, and it is by that doing that we are damned.

He knows, in a way, what will happen. I know he knows. And I know the fear he has of it.

"Falkenburg here, assault four standing by."

"Prince of Wales reporting assault three at standby."

"This is Salamanca, all units of assault two ready to go."

"Bannockburn at go status, assault one in position."

"Siegfried here, sacrificial sheep powered up and in position."

Because I know that what he hates the most, what he fears the most, is killing. He hates causing death, he hates inflicting it on others. He hates it with a passion that has destroyed lesser souls in the crash of the psyche. He hates it with a passion. For him, it is an anathema, a rejection of everything he holds dear and beautiful about the world, a denial of life as he knows it. For him, death is an old enemy, someone who should be denied even the leanest amount of work. And in his heart, he rages at the fact that he is about to do it again.

I turn to look at him, standing calm and composed on the rear of the bridge.

"Justice, we have confirmation. Fourth Wing is in position."

"Very good." His voice betrays not a single tremor, but he is well practiced. He lets the words roll of his tongue with a crispness that you could use to make origami.

"Ordinance?"

"Resupply on standby."

"Ground Control?"

"Standing by to execute stage two sir."

"Gunnery?"

"Give us targets, we'll give you a body count sir."

"Operations?"

"All detachable units at plus 15 sir. Best we can do."

"Understood. Tactical?"

"Ready as we'll ever be."

"Very good people."

I can feel him draw himself up, brace himself inside. And then it comes, the symbol of dread we had been waiting for. A mere whisper of communication, a simple, almost invisible message that would condemn so many to death.

"Sir," for a moment the words threaten to choke me, but I continue anyway. "Philip Augustus reports all ready."

That was it, everyone knew, and now it came down to him. The Dark had to know we were coming, and due to the constrained nature of the transit lines, they had to know where. They were not prepared, but even with what little time we had given them, there defensive advantage would assure that the forward elements would take a terrific pounding as they transited.

And Justice knew. His skill with tactics and strategy, unexpected and unlooked for, had made him the Light's Sword, the commander of armies dedicated to saving worlds, but it had also given him a burden that he could not pass off. And he had long ago learned the first lesson of strategy, the first rule of tactics. No matter how hard you try, no matter how well you plan, people will die achieving your objectives. And you can do nothing, you must direct the battle, remain apart from the action, and watch them die, to do the greatest good. And somewhere inside him some part of his soul raged in incandescent impotent fury against the sheer unfairness of it all, screaming his anger to the uncaring stars. But that was a small voice now, and the tears that he would later let spill down his cheeks were locked behind a dam that no mere explosion would ever breach.

Now, it came down on his shoulders. The responsibility to lead his people into war. Would he take it, could he shoulder that dreadful burden? His fears must be screaming at them, but his voice is calm.

"Acknowledged."

I can see the sweat start to form at the edge of his hair. And in my mind, the words of Tennyson roll through my thoughts, echoing like the thunder of mighty cannons. Half a league, half a league, half a league onward.

His voice is still calm, and if there is a tremor in it, nobody notices. "Commander, initiate Trafalger two."

"Aye aye sir." Some part of my mind wonders at his calm demeanor in the face of what he must be feeling, but that part is suppressed by the passage of long years of experience. "Trafalger two is go."

And then I can see him whisper. No sound comes out, but his lips move, framing the words carefully. A prayer perhaps, a last benediction on the way to death? But I knew those words, as I knew him.

They stood, engraved in brass in the plaque on the rear of the bridge. He had often questioned their historical accuracy, but now they were more famous than they had any right to be, engraved in the minds of a dozen generations. They gleamed, below the sign that gave mighty Leonidas its illustrious name. Or rather, Leonidas IV. Three other ships bearing the same name had been shot out from under Justice's feet as he directed battles across the worlds, yet this one had still demanded the ancient right of carrying the Flag into battle. And around Justice the crew who had volunteered for that duty walked with a pride in themselves and their ship that no one else could match.

Stranger, go, and to the listening Spartans tell, that here, obedient to their laws, we fell.

Because they knew. They knew that he was the best, that with that responsibility of their lives that weighed so heavily on his shoulders would prevent him from doing everything except trying their hardest. Everywhere they knew that he would only spend their lives in the gravest emergency, in the greatest emergency, and it was their calling, their highest honor to give lives for that sacred cause. And now, their trust settled down on the only one who could have planned and directed their ultimate victory, and they knew that they were watched over by a faithful and fierce protector.

And Justice looked up, into his fears of death, into his terror of being responsible for others' demise and fired his first salvo in his war against fear, his voice echoing in the face of the nameless nightmare like a fusillade of cannons in an enclosed valley.

"All units, this is the Flag! Fourth Wing will advance!"

Ahead of us the shape of the Iron Duke vanished in a flare of light as it disappeared from this world and reappeared in another, in the midst of battle. Next the Petain disappeared in a flash of light, and then the massive bulk of the Tso. Ahead of us, the William of Orange snapped out of existence.

And then, with its commander's jaw tight and his eyes defiant in the face of his worst nightmare come to life, the Leonidas accelerated out of one world and into the gaping jaws of hell.

Historical Note: Just for reference, the line from the Leonidas is one of the epitaphs attributed to the three hundred Spartans who died at Thermopylae. You can look up that data for yourself. Philip II Augustus was a king of France, a contemporary of Richard the Lion-Hearted, Pericles an Athenian statesman, Trajan a Roman Emperor, Salamanca a battle fought by the Duke of Wellington against the forces of Napoleon in Spain. Bannockburn was where Robert the Bruce defeated the English, Siegfried is the character from the Ring of the Niebelung operas and Norse legend, Prince of Wales is the title of the heir to the English throne and the Duke of Marlborough was one of England's greatest field commanders. Tso Tsung-t'ang was a Manchu general and administrator, William of Orange a famous Dutch leader, Marshal Petain one of France's better generals in WWI, and the Iron Duke the British flagship in the battle of Jutland. The Tennyson poem is, of course, The Charge of the Light Brigade. The Falkenburg is a tribute to John Christian Falkenburg III, the literary creation of Jerry Pournelle. Second disclaimer: I do not own the rights to John Christian Falkenburg III.

Author's Note: Okay, I can't write endings. So sue me. I'll try and get some more done soon.