Author's notes: I'm not really attempting to create a mighty epic digimon fic that has no ongoing plot whatsoever, it just looks like it Future author's notes will come at the end of chapters.

Angemon… You will not be forgotten…

Every one of the chosen children has their crest, and all of them represent that trait within the digital world… Daisuke and Taichi were the courage of the digital world, and until Hikari bravely stood up to follow her brother's path, without them, all they would do was flee. When Yamato turned to darkness, the rest of the chosen were sundered apart, battling each other bitterly and trusting no one, creating wounds that still have not healed.

When Takeru loses hope, the damage to the digital world is great indeed, far greater then all Vamdemon and the Kaiser put together could bring upon it… For at least then, they still had hope, they still had the will to fight… And after seeing his worst fears unfold before him and with no digimon left to help, Takeru losing hope was inevitable… The only question was whether Love could return Hope to the digital world, or in less abstract terms, if Sora could get Takeru to hope for the world once more, if the strength of her feelings were yet powerful enough… But for all she's done, she was still human, and it would soon prove time for her own weakness to surface…

Then again, with the time of the digimentals, there were two holders of love. And perhaps it would be the other one that would restore hope to the digital world, perhaps by protecting Light from the all-consuming darkness…

For Fallen Devimon was not the only evil in the digital world. For there were ultimately more then one threatening the ability of all digimon to live their lives in peace and happiness, and not just an empty threat, but an old one as powerful as the gods…

But ultimately, these would not be the only ones with a major role to play… Yamato Ishida, seemingly willing to do anything so Gabumon could be reborn, detested by the rest as a backstabber, but now only trying to revive one of the only ones killed by his backstab and fall… Mimi Tachikiwa, still the pure-hearted pacifist, and the Panjyamon that had turned from her protector to her love… A hybrid by the name of Felis, who in a different time might have been thought of as the thirteenth chosen, and the so-called "Protectors of the digital world" determined to save their home, humanity be damned. Koushirou Izumi, with what was seemingly a worthless trait in these dark times, powerless to do a thing to save Kabuterimon, his grudge against Lady Devimon sure to come up at the worst possible time… Ken Ichijouji, the once and future Kaiser, still trying desperately to hold onto the light, and Wormmon, the digimon sworn to ensure he remained his kind self. Jou Kido, still distracted with his studies in the human world, still unaware his Sincerity would be needed once more. Lady Devimon, the she-devil turned to light by Hikari, her desires seeming to have turned from revenge to love… Iori Hida, sincere and inquisitive in a world where it seems no others were, still with so little trust in the chosen… And of course, Hikari Yagami herself, the reluctant lone light in the darkness, still forgetting her own desires for the happiness of others, still incredibly fearful of the dark undersea master.

Every one of them would prove needed, every one of them had a vital role to play before this war could end… And ultimately, all of their stories would impact the digital world in ways that would last for centuries, each one of them would prove necessary for creating this world's eventual fate, and the battle for the fate of the worlds would not only be fought by four humans and three digimon.

But which way would they turn? The choice between light and darkness is not always clear, and human or digimon, we all have our weaknesses. And even if they all chose light by some miracle, why, most of them had already fought together so bravely and failed so horribly, victory was still only a faint hope…

That, or the simple memory of Takeru's lost hope can make a supposedly impartial narrator make things look far more gloomy they are, but when all digimon had as little hope as said narrator, his point was probably an accurate one anyway…

Still, there would always be those who focused on grudges, those who's trust had been so badly broken they could never view certain others as anything but the enemy ever again. And after all he had done, and after seeing the Kaiser in Ken once more, Iori Hida was one of those people…

"I know, he's one of the chosen and all, and I shouldn't hold grudges…" Iori said, cutting downward with his wooden sword… "But I still can't trust him, and I'm still afraid that if I don't stop him, he'll do it again…"

"Who knows, but we really can't afford not to trust him da'gya." Armadimon responded, the plated digimon having seen so much of what the Kaiser had done… "If he does turn on us, the digital world is doomed either way da'gya."

Iori sweatdropped and muttered a comment about how some statements simply should not be followed up with da'gya, no matter how programmed in it is for the armadillo digimon to do so.

"Sorry, da'gya." The Armadillo responded, and Iori could only face-fault, which when done when practicing sword technique can lead to rather painful results, as he was soon to learn as he cried out in pain.

As for Ken Ichijouji, the battle for his soul still raged within…

I've caused so much pain…

But can a kind and gentle being save this world?

"Ken-chan…" Wormmon said, nuzzling the bearer of kindness's leg… "Please…"

Ken Ichijouji did not know why he reacted as he did, perhaps merely a reflex, perhaps a darker part of his soul that finally began to arise… "But that doesn't matter… How could I do this to him again?" Ken asked, running over to the injured Wormmon, the digimon he so casually kicked away… "I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me Wormmon!" He yelled out, tears dropping down his face… "What have I done…"

"You're forgiven…" Wormmon answered happily, glad that at least for now, his fears had not been realized, as his human partner embraced him once more, or perhaps one last time…

Digimon Kaiser, or kind-hearted chosen… Which path will he take? Iori wondered from afar, prepared to slay him if it was the former… "Taichi and Daisuke are dead, Jou-sempai was the sincere one and he disappeared, Yamato, Ken, Hikari… Hikari may have redeemed herself, but I'm still not sure I can trust anyone…" Iori thought sadly, still curious as to whom he would soon have to fight…

And from deep in the dark ocean, Dagomon's attention diverted, as Hikari, even exhausted as she was, was far from the easiest among the chosen to turn to his rule… But Ken, the former Kaiser, so near being consumed by his own darkness, why, he would certainly fall, it was only a matter of how soon, and whether it would be soon enough…

Meanwhile, Fallen Devimon looked upon the spot of Angemon's death, and let out a horrible, horrible laugh, which would forever torment those who had the misfortune to hear the sound of his triumph… But at least if he was laughing, he wouldn't be out fighting, and at least for that moment the digimon of the world could continue to live…

But Fallen Devimon's time to bring death was not now… There were always more digimon of darkness, especially now with the gates between the worlds broken… And even if it seemed Dagomon merely slept, his machinations were far beyond that, and the Kaiser had to return, but how?

"A battle sparked that required extensive brutality to win? Would that work? A digimon that simply would not fall easily, something he would have no choice to kill… Yes, maybe if he was made to kill again…" Dagomon thought, and one of the deep ones surfaced, knowing nothing more then that he was to disguise himself as a Hangyomon to slay a human by the name of Ken Ichijouji who held the crest of kindness... Knowing nothing of his fate.

And as the deep one attacked, Ken knew nothing more then that an attempt on his life was being made. After all, they're called beings of the darkness for a reason.

But of course there was a hidden motive behind it, and the results of the attack would surely bring much suffering to this world… It seemed simple enough, almost routine… Wormmon evolved, then attacked, Ken displaying little if any emotion in the process… It might have just been a random encounter in some video game, for all the difficulty it brought…

But there was that one thing that was different, different then killing Dark Tower digimon, or monsters in some video game that were little more then bits of statistics… For the deep one ultimately wanted to live.

After all, he knew digimon were living creatures now, he couldn't just kill them endlessly thinking it a harmless game…

"Please… Don't kill me…" He begged, but Ken seemed not to care…

"Do it, Stingmon." He spoke coldly, having this odd urge to crack his non-existent whip, then pounding his head for thinking such things…

"Spiking Finish!"

And as Ken finally killed again, Angewomon had a distinct look of sorrow, trying to imagine the pain Fallen Devimon would inflict… "Hikari-chan, I need to go now…"

"Where to?" The bearer of light asked innocently, still not seeming to notice her serious tone...

"I owe her this, at least…"

"Huh?" Hikari asked, still not having the slightest grasp of what her digimon was referring to…

"It's Lady Devimon… She fought in that battle to protect you, something I should have done to begin with…" She said, regret clear in her voice… "Besides, I've caused her so much harm, I have to make it up to her…"

"Angewomon… I'm going with you…" Hikari responded, determined… "I can't let you throw your life away, and besides, I'm the one who brought her to our side to begin with."

"Please stay, Hikari-chan… I'm nearly certain to lose, and Lady Devimon will most likely be tortured to death… But we've lived long lives, and this eternal struggle is really all we've always had."

Hikari nodded in understanding, but still wasn't willing to back down…

"Hikari-chan… You still have hope, you still have a chance to find happiness without me."

"You mean with Miyako-chan?" Hikari asked, blushing… "You want me to forsake you?"

"I want your happiness, that's all." She said, flying downward and kissing the bearer of light on the lips… "So please, for my sake, be happy…" She finished, and flew away as Hikari looked onward…

"No… I can't leave her… I know, everyone wants me to stay, no one wants me to fight this battle, my strength must be conserved… But I can't let her fight alone… I can't lose her…" She thought, walking over to the second bearer of love and purity… "Ne, Miyako-chan, know how to fight the ultimate evil without anyone else knowing?"

"Well, there's the traditional "Disguise yourself with mask and robes of darkness" method, but that won't work 'cause your attacks and glowing will give it away." The purple-haired girl answered, pondering… "What about using a digimental?"

"Humans? Use digimentals?" Hikari asked, having no clue what Miyako was talking about… "Wait, I heard something from Takeru about it at Grey Lord's mansion…"

Miyako nodded. "It's possible, and it gives enough armor no one will realize who the heck you are. You want to protect Angewomon, don't you?"

To protect Angewomon… Is that what I want? Yes, I want her to be safe… But… She thought, horrible visions running through her head… He'll attack me again… I'll lose everything… Even imagining it I can't stand, he still brings me so much fear…

No, I have to do it… I'll save Angewomon, I'll face my fear… She thought, and that which Daisuke had died to give her finally proved needed, as a spiked egg emerged from her D-Terminal, which she eagerly grasped…

"Ano… What do I say, "Hikari Shinka" or something?"

"I used a random dragonlance reference, but I don't think invoking Qinglongmon's name to get the damn thing to open works for all digimentals, and I doubt just yelling "Shinka" works." Miyako responded, scratching her head… "Ultimately, I have absolutely no idea!" She yelled, and Hikari face-faulted.

"Fine then…" Hikari yelled, clasping her hands together before the digimental… "Please, aid me…"

And so the digimental opened, and Hikari became clad in flame, with a Fladramon-esque mask and a long silvery spike bursting from her hand, while bright blue kneepads with the symbol of courage upon them covered her knees. Thick fire covered her upper chest, shoulders, arms, and lower regions, while a looser flame covered her lower chest and legs, occasionally revealing the figure underneath, as Miyako blushed in admiration.

"Miyako-chan, what is it?" Hikari asked innocently, as her friend looked away and hid her nosebleed… Shrugging, she jumped away, too concerned about Angewomon to waste any time flirting with Miyako or anything like that… Miyako followed, remembering the words Angemon spoke to her…

"To protect the hope of the digital world, even when Takeru fails… I'm still not quite sure what Angemon meant by that, but Hikari does seem to be the only one left, so I'll help her…" Miyako thought, holding up her digivice to Hawkmon and flying after… "Besides, it's not just about duty. She's my closest friend, and I do care for her, in more ways then one…"

Still, there's a lot at stake, I know how much this world means, how much digimon have suffered… So many, trying so hard for the future of this world, and all I can think about is Hikari-chan… And I'm supposed to hold the crest of purity, but my motivations aren't entirely pure of heart… Every battle, we all stake so much on it, all trying so hard to succeed, and innocent digimon are always caught in the crossfire, trying heroic gambit after heroic gambit, breaking down from the stress of it all, or just enjoying final moments with the ones they love…" Miyako mumbled, as Aquilamon flew there. "Even if my motivations aren't entirely pure, I do love Hikari-chan, and I do want to save this world… Ultimately, isn't that what matters?"

"So, it seems another battle is at hand…" He thought, looking at the Aquilamon flying above… Another struggle, another draw… Ever since he returned, it's been this way, a bunch of battles deciding nothing… But this stalemate can't last forever, something has to give, and I doubt the collapse will be from Devimon's side. We can't win…

"You're wrong…" Another one spoke, his voice having a wise tone to it… "The chosen grow ever-stronger by the day… Devimon doesn't notice it, and he's killing so many he thinks they can't last much longer… But this war is far from over, and defeat is far from certain…"

"I can only hope you're right…" He answered, looking upward as what may just be his world's last hope flying past him…

Angewomon had the good fortune to arrive just as Fallen Devimon was trying to break Lady Devimon's spirit, at least having a chance to fight with her nearby, to perhaps free her without having to storm the gates and kill so many trying to keep her imprisoned on their evil master's orders… But it was not all for good, as she saw what had been done to the succubus digimon…

"Lady Devimon… I'm sorry, for all I've done to you…" She said tearfully, shooting a couple arrows to break her chains… "Please, leave this place!"

"Angewomon?" The nightmare soldier asked quietly, wondering if she was hallucinating… "What are YOU doing here?" She added, barely able to even show contempt…

"Lady Devimon, you're in no shape for another battle… Just run for it already! I can't hold him off forever…"

"I can't say I know what's gotten into you, but I'm in no shape to deny aid from anyone…" She gasped out, limping towards the exit, wings too hurt to let her fly, and probably too drenched with blood anyway…

"Angewomon…" Fallen Devimon said coldly, snaking a tentacle towards Lady Devimon, which Angewomon quickly knocked aside with her bow… "I didn't think you'd be throwing your life away to help HER escape."

"I've caused her enough pain, it's time I make up for what I've done…" She responded, silently wishing she had a staff like Angemon's to help repel the demon, as her current method of defense with the bow wouldn't exactly last…

"Hell's beam of destruction!"

Darkness, creeping closer and closer, as time seemed to slow down as the beam approached… But with time slowed down, so was her movement, she couldn't dodge or block…

To think this is the end… It's almost like Wizarmon, taking an attack meant for someone else… But this is more duty then anything, and I have so very many things I regret… She thought, until she noticed a slight flare from above… "Huh? What's that fire? It's clearly an attack, but who's wielding it?"

A masked woman, wearing the armor of courage… A quick, flame-surrounded dive, resembling what Fladramon once used to attack with… And Devimon reeled back in shock, losing concentration and having his attack fly harmlessly away… "Who are you? Wait, that armor… Hikari-chan!"

"So, this whole armor was pointless… Still, I'll save her…" She thought, gathering up flame in her claws…

I tried to make her stay… Angewomon thought, as the bearer of light took a swipe of Fallen Devimon's claw… I tried to keep her out of this… She continued, as Hikari was wounded once more… But instead, she's relying on courage, like it did Daisuke or Taichi any good… She can't win…

"Hell's beam of destruction!" Fallen Devimon cried out, and the darkness rose once more…

"Hikari-chan!" As Angewomon cried out, the blast of darkness hit, and the bearer of light dropped to the ground… "If only she had stayed behind… It's just like with Wizarmon… No, worse, because at least when Wizarmon died I had someone…" She thought, as another tear dropped… Without Hikari, I have no one…

"Heaven's arrow!" A desperate blast from the forgotten angel, trying to save her love… It struck the devil's palm, as black blood spurted from Fallen Devimon's hand… But Hikari could barely stand after the attacks she had just taken, and there was no chance of either victory or escape in their current condition… Perhaps the stalemate would be broken after all…

But Miyako Inoue still rushed to battle, Fallen Devimon had not time to rally his forces, and all they needed now was escape... If she arrived in time, the battle would be decided in favor of the side of light.

If not, the light of the digital world would be broken, and all would be lost.

And so Aquilamon flapped his mighty wings, carrying Miyako to battle, while hoping that somehow they'd make it before it was too late…

Fallen Devimon recovered, ignoring the pain in his hand, and attacked… Miyako, now more then ever glad she had learned to armor-evolve, threw a shuriken perfectly from the cemetery surrounding the halls of Grey Lord's mansion… Perfectly, in that it smashed the window, causing piercing shards of glass to distract the demon at the very least, while she jumped in for another attack…

The rest happened too quickly and chaotically to easily state what it was, and the darkness-based attacks didn't clarify things much either. But in time the battle ended, and when it had, they had all managed to escape, and finally obtained something they could call a "victory."

But it was not a grand victory, stopping Fallen Devimon's power eternally… It was a prisoner rescue without casualties, they'd have more strength for the next time, and that was indeed useful. But the war would continue, minor victories would not break the stalemate, and something would have to give…

However, the battle was over now, and the chosen could at least get back to the aftermath and their normal lives, or what passed for lives these days, isolated from their home world and in an underground mechanical city that seemed made only for combat…

Factorial Fortress was a cold place, after all, no grassy fields to stand in or sakura petals to blow past anyone… Just metal frame after metal frame, not exactly the place for love to usually blossom, heck, it seemed almost inhuman... Then again, this wasn't a city of humans anyway, but even most digimon had trouble adapting…

But the situation did call for it… Stuff always happens after a great victory, after all, and you can't help but grow close to the one who saves your life, especially if there were strong feelings before…

"Miyako-chan… She saved me after all, but still… It seems she has her own sorrow, and I just don't want that to remain…" Hikari thought, looking over to her friend… "I've never been the sort to make anyone sad… But now…"

"Miyako, Angewomon, whoever I pick it brings the other one sadness… And as for me, I'm just not sure who I care for… If only there was some other way, if only one of them could find another or something…"

"I can't bear to see anyone suffer, and usually that's something good… It's supposed to bring happiness to those around me, knowing someone who can't stand suffering and will always try to make you happy… But now it's more a curse then anything…"

"I want to love, who doesn't? To truly care for another, to find happiness whenever that person's around… It's what everyone wants, isn't it? But even if I do find love, it will be tainted by sorrow… If I do fall in love, I may find happiness with that person, but I'll have to live with the knowledge that it makes someone else I care for sad…

"Hikari-chan?" Miyako asked, but the bearer of light was deep in thought… "Hikari-chan?" She asked again, turning super-deformed and poking her, but to no reaction…

"Miyako… I really should respond to her, but… I can't bring myself to do so…" The bearer of light thought, until a loving vision of them together shot through her head… "Why did I think of something like that? Am I to choose Miyako?"

"Either way, I'll find happiness, I know that… Either in Miyako's arms or Angewomon's, my life would be happy, seemingly complete… But come to think of it, I've never been the sort to think of such things…"

"Hikari-chan, are you there?" The super-deformed Miyako asked, continuing to poke.

Am I? Wait, what the hell am I thinking about? Of course I'm here, my brain's really getting too philosophical… "Yeah, I am." The burdened one responded, upturning her mouth into a slight smile, and getting an urge to just embrace her or collapse into her chest…

Still, I can't do that… Angewomon's gone through enough, I can't do that to her… If she sees it… I'll bring her so much sorrow… But…

"Even if I'm always thinking about others, even if it brings me sorrow later, I want a bit of happiness…" She thought, embracing her and pulling the purple-haired girl into a kiss…

"Hikari-chan, I thank you…" Miyako thought, feeling a happiness she had never felt before at last feeling like her first digimental belonged with her, not merely a mistake of the digital world… And as her heart rushed with happiness, she wished things could stay this way eternally…

"After all, I'd go through the dark ocean and back just to bring her happiness… To hold her in my arms, that's the best feeling I've ever felt. It's odd, I'm not used to finding happiness in this world… Sure, there have been the occasional times with Hawkmon, and I sure missed our adventures when they ended, but even soaring for the first time was just to go into battle… The digital world has always been a bittersweet place, after all… But now I can just lose myself in bliss, forgetting about my sorrows." She finished thinking, smiling as she pulled away from the kiss… "Ai shiteru, Hikari-chan…"

Hikari blushed and pulled away, regret still heavy in her heart, but still with the knowledge that she would forever reflect fondly on this moment… And maybe that memory would be enough, being able to think back on this time might always bring her happiness...

Were this another time, a time when Angewomon and Miyako were not romantic rivals, the closeness of the two jogress partners might just have been enough to bring about Valkyrimon. But they were, and ultimately either the jogress evolution would not happen, because one bond would always be strained… In the end, either one of them would feel sorrow, or both would, there could be no happy ending here…

But for now, at least two of them had found happiness, and that alone meant that the digital world was not yet doomed.