FOREWORD & AUTHOR'S NOTES:

The year is 2014. It's October. Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj are topping the charts with Bang Bang, American Eagle has announced that it will no longer airbrush their lingerie models, the world is obsessed with Pharrell's 10-gallon hat, and I finally began writing this story.

This journey officially began on 01 October 2014. At the not-so-delicate age of 22 I found myself back in the Digimon fandom and I wanted to write. I promised myself that, unlike the naïve attempts of my youth, I was finally going to finish a story.

And I did. Except it wasn't this one. This one hit a roadblock and sat untouched for a solid 11 months while I poured my heart in to a Kingdom Hearts fic. Them's the breaks!

Still, this story has been a labour of love that re-introduced me to writing and brought me back home to my first and favourite fandom. I've rediscovered my childhood friends and my love for storytelling. If not for this story, I would never had known about Digimon Adventure Tri or Kizuna or Adventure 2020, and these childhood friends of mine would have gone on those adventures without me.

What started as a plot bunny somewhere back in 2011 finally became a concept three years later, and after 6 years of on-and-off writing I am finally biting the bullet and sharing it with you, in the hopes that you will enjoy discovering this adventure as much as I did.

We're starting in familiar territory, but a handful of changes to the world we knew will result in a tumultuous journey towards a catastrophically different ending.

Please read, review and enjoy.

A NOTE ON SUB/DUB TERMINOLOGY:

This story will predominantly use Sub terminology. However, there may be some instances where American Dub terms are used – either for personal preference or simply because I slipped up. It's not going to be perfect, but my main aim is to at least be consistent within the confines of this story. The most important thing is that we have fun! (Right?)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Digimon. Any names, characters, places or other property belonging to the Digimon franchise remains the property of its respective owner(s).

PROLOGUE

Agumon had known the Kaiser was coming before even the sharpest of eyes had picked him out against the sky.

The ground trembled underfoot. The air was thick with dust and despair as Airdramon's shadow swept overhead. The Caprimon village quickly descended in to panic; the child-level digimon weren't entirely defenceless, but there was no way they could hold out against the Kaiser's adult minions. They were particularly easy-pickings for a Bokemon who was rampaging through the village, crushing the Caprimon's huts and splitting the ground with his earth destroyer attacks. Another fissure raced through the dirt, and Agumon leapt forwards to keep a handful of Caprimon from falling head-first in to the breach. Agumon ushered them back from the edge and turned towards Bokemon, sending a baby flame which splashed harmlessly against the digimon's knuckled brow.

A deep chuckle floated through the air. Agumon's eyes narrowed as he finally saw the Kaiser up close. He looked even crueller than Agumon had expected. His lips were pulled back in a sinister sneer, and his heavy cape snapped back and forth in the wind. As far as Agumon could tell the Kaiser was a human boy; Agumon didn't understand much about human evolution, but he knew enough to know that this boy was not the same as Taichi, even if they were the same height and both had spiky hair. The Kaiser had goggles too, though he wore his over his eyes. The coloured lenses made his eyes look black. He stared at Agumon and his thin lips stretched in to a smirk.

"Is that the best you can do?"

Bokemon lumbered closer, stepping easily over the fissure to come to a stop before Agumon. He snorted, and the breath that washed over Agumon made him taste his breakfast again. It smelt worse than a Numemon cave, but Agumon knew better than to say that out loud. Bokemon was easily five times his size, and whilst a 'mon's size wasn't always a mark of his strength, Agumon knew he would have his work cut out even if they were evenly matched.

The Kaiser laughed again, and from beneath the folds of his cloak a gloved hand withdrew a slender black whip. He cracked it in the air and several shadows began to rise behind him, each a black ring that sat motionless in the air until the Kaiser clicked his fingers and they surged forwards.

The Caprimon screamed, stumbling over each other in their attempt to flee. Agumon saw the first victim fall; the black ring looped around one of the horns of a Caprimon's silver helmet, and as the 'mon squealed in agony as the ring tightened around the horn's base. The Caprimon shuddered and fell silent, its eyes clenched tightly shut as its body trembled violently. When it finally looked up its eyes were glowing a sickly red, and without hesitating it turned towards its neighbour and pushed it in to the path of another ring.

Agumon was powerless to stop the attack. Every time he tried to intervene he was forced to dance back or risk having a ring wrap around him instead, and he couldn't risk being taken by the Kaiser. He would have to run.

The arrow came from nowhere; a blur of flint and wood and colourful feathers that rapped the Kaiser's knuckles. The Kaiser cursed, and the whip fell as he clutched his hand to his chest amidst a wave of curses. He twisted sharply, searching the skies for his attacker.

"Agumon!" Tailmon's voice was a welcome relief, and when Agumon turned he caught a flash of white amidst the panic. He called her name, running to her as best he could, dodging Caprimon and rings and cracks in the dirt.

"We have to get the Caprimon out of here!" he called. She nodded.

"We've found a safe place in the woods. If we can get the Caprimon there then we can try and draw the Kaiser away. Can you help me get them out of the village?" He nodded and she turned sharply, waving her paws in the air. "This way! Follow me! This way!"

Agumon hurried them along, urging them to move faster and doing what little he could to try and keep the Caprimon safe from their captive kin as they fled. He hoped Tailmon's safe place also included a secret passage, otherwise the Kaiser was likely to follow them. He glanced over his shoulder, finding the boy distracted by more arrows, but a brief pause in the attack allowed him just enough time to glance down at the village below

"After them!" the Kaiser cried, and Bokemon quickly obliged. He split the ground with another attack before charging forwards. Agumon rescued a Caprimon from the newest fissure and threw her along the line; he heard two helmets crash together as the little digimon landed with a yelp. Up ahead Tailmon was calling for them to hurry, and the river of fleeing Caprimon was quickly disappearing in to the dense foliage. Agumon stood his ground then, planting his feet firmly and flourishing his claws as the last of the Caprimon hurried past them.

"I won't let you hurt them!" he shouted. The Kaiser's Airdramon dove out of the sky and the boy dropped nimbly on to Bokemon's shoulder with a smirk.

"What makes you think that you stand a chance against me?" he sneered. Agumon bared his teeth and let out the strongest baby flame he could muster, but it was hardly effective against the armoured digimon. The Kaiser chuckled and held his chin. "Still, you do possess a certain courage. You would make a fine addition to my collection." From underneath his cloak he withdrew a final ring. Despite its polished surface it scarcely gleamed in the sunlight, as though it was drinking in the light and swallowing it. The Kaiser flicked his wrist and sent the ring spiralling through the air. Agumon leapt back and broke in to a sprint, but it wasn't long before he felt something cold snap around his neck. It squeezed, filling his data with ice as he tumbled to the ground.

"Agumon! No!" Tailmon called, and he heard her bounding lightly towards him. He opened his eyes and lifted his head.

"T-Tailmon, go!" he growled. She stopped suddenly, a look of horror on her face, and he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Get the Caprimon to safety or he'll capture you t-"

Agumon's voice disappeared as a jolt surged through him, and he let out a howl of pain. He clawed at his new collar and dropped to the floor, eyes clenched shut against the haggled shards of ice that flooded in to his tummy

"And here's another fine specimen," the Kaiser chuckled. Agumon heard Tailmon let out a low hiss. "I've been looking all over for you. Where's that little friend of yours? Is she hiding from me?"

"Tailmon," Agumon choked. "Run!"

Then he knew nothing but darkness.

If all goes well, I'm hoping to post at least once a week, but I may try and slip in a few extra posts here and there. Make sure to add this story to your follow list so you don't miss an update, and please let me know what you thought!

See you next time.