A Place and Time for Everything

by Majere

The worlds of the digidestined of seasons 2 and 3 lie in ruins, their only hope lies in a third earth and the promise it brings to them. This is a rewrite of my A time and place fic

2. Twilight

Disclaimer: I Do not own digimon, I do own all Storys/Evolutions/Digimon/Characters I make up.

"A Time and Place for Everything V 2.0"
Chapter 2 ' Twilight'

(Authors Note: From time to time I will be talking about stages of the war, Stage 1 took place on Season 1/2's Earth also referred to as Earth Prime. Stage 2 takes place on Season 3's Earth referred to as Earth Beta. Stage 3 is the stage that the characters are heading into .aka. the present. )

Additional notes: I must admit, this was to be an abandoned project long ago. I started this fic back in December of 2002. Almost 3 years later I am continuing it and finally intend to finish it. Originally I intended it to have no more than 3 chapters. Now it will more than likely go no less than 5 -6.

Let the story Begin

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A shadowy being looked down from where it stood on a raised hill. Standing still, clothes not moving even in the high winds.

With the naked eye one could just see the sun go over the horizon in its last great spectacle of the day, being driven from the land by the approaching darkness, seeming to flee as fast as possible to give respite to others on a far away plane.

It lowered it's head to look down upon a boy looking upwards into the sky. Enthusiastic in the stars beginning to appear as if by magic. Little did the boy know but his world was soon to be the wall in which the approaching digidestined would be backed up against. It was here that the digidestined would land, here that they would finally make their last stand against the darkness.

It turned around and disappeared into the night air.

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The world went to static and then reformed in front of him, assaulted senses repairing themselves as the situation around rushed in like a whirlwind.

Shaking his head, TK surveys the havoc he sees in front of him. Back packs and supplies tossed haphazardly all over the large main room, blood, sweat and defeat seemed to permeate the air, one of those being worse than the others in his opinion.

Izzy appears out of one side area, sweat and blood covering his face and torn ragged clothes, standing, he yells " What's our status Izzy? "

Whirling around in his tracks Izzy's eyes pop open as he sees my… condition. Nice guy but needs to get a handle on the situation fast, something he normally can do very quickly.

" TK you should have been one of the first to be treated" I shake my head and with a chop of my arm cut him off " No time for that now, we need someone with their minds clear and thinking right now, something old friend you are not right now!"

Izzy surprises me by coloring a little before nodding and then moving on his way. Face troubled from both personal and current issues.

Leaning back against the wall I examine our surroundings, turns out that Imperialdramon has a Version 3 and can become an even bigger ship as if made for our current situation. Imagine the Enterprise saucer section but a smidgen smaller.

Pain flares through my side, a last parting gift from Myotismon, Bastard nailed me while I wasn't looking after nailing Gatomon who was while protecting Kari.

From my leaning position I see through an opened door to where Kari is standing over the table Gatomon is lying on, blood soaked rags and gauze littering the floor.

Movement catches my eye beside her, Patamon is there keeping them company while I... well while I try and get myself together and a little more active. Don't think either of them know how badly I was hit, passed it off as nothing more than a scrape to Kari, she needs her mind on Gatomon right now.

TK smirks to himself and whispers, "I would be the only one who Kari would put before her partner, how pathetic I am"

Hand smashing into the wall, Dammit how we could use Joe and his medical knowledge right now, but he had to go missing last week on a mission with Mimi.

Staggering further down the hall towards the 'Medical area' I hear Yolei crying to herself from one branch off, probably over Davis as she had watched him killed not more than an hour past. The other voice belonging to Ken.

They make a cute couple and I'm glad for it now, maybe he can calm her down some before we all meet later.

Bringing his hand up to face, notices it is covered in blood and just shrugs it off.

A voice came from above " you really should have that looked at TK, I can tell one of those who are in the infirmary"

Head still spinning a little, I finally realize that it's Imperialdramon, got to get it through to my brain that we really have no privacy anymore, means that we cant…

I shake my head to clear those thought out of my head, no matter how nice and finally respond once I have the breath to.

"Don't you dare, there are other more seriously injured people and I told you it's just a scratch, a long one but a scratch never the less." Man I hate lying but others need it more. A thought hits me and anger would be seen visibly on face was there anyone around to see " this isn't being transmitted to everyone is it?"

"No"

I let out a sigh, at least they are being smart about it, asking me in private, the strain they are under must be immense, must make a note to find some sort of way to help them out, need to be stern right now though.

"make yourself useful then and give me a status report on our current group" thinking for a sec, " make that by the Original Teams"

A screen digitally appears in front of me, interesting how they can do that without my D3, then again they probably don't even know how they are doing it. The information however is from my D3, with additions done on the fly by Imperialdramon.

-Alpha Team-

TK - Unknown Injuries
Partner- Worried
Location - Right here
Frowning I give the finger to the screen, "Smart ass!"

Kari - Active
Partner - Seriously Injured
Location - Medical room X

Izzy - Active but confused
Partner - Active
Location - Room 23

Sora - Unknown Injury
Partner - KIA
Location - Room 23
For a second I had to think of about the KIA, and then I remembered that Biyomon fell back during the first stage of the war. Then it hit me, they are both grouped together by Imeperialdramon, now that's one I bet nobody else knows about, then again I might be the last to know as well. Or they might just be talking. Enough gossip. Moving on.

Davis - MIA
Partner - Active but sad
… I watch it change to KIA, and be removed from the list. It's like I can feel the sadness emanating from Veemon.

Yolei - Emotionally unstable
Partner - Active
Location - Room 12
Shaking my head. I bet she's emotionally unstable right now, having Davis save her and throw her aboard at the risk of his own life and then losing it at the next moment.
Ken - Active
Partner - Always ready
Location - Room 12
Was I the only one surprised when it turned out he and Davis were not sexual partners. Well they make a nice couple him and Yolei.

Cody - Minor Injuries
Partner - Active
Good Kid, more level headed than most of the older digidestined though still immature in other areas.

-Team Beta-

Rika - Active
Partner - Active
Location - Room 10
Kai - Minor Injuries
Partner - Active
Location - Medical
Another pairing, I am definitely out of the loop as far as relationships among the team go. These two are the backbone of that team and I hope they can step up to the plate now that Takato is gone. They sort of remind me of myself and Kari.

Jeri - Active
Partner - KIA
Location - Hallway
A little strange but very smart, has the unique ability to team up with any digimon and give them the ability to digivolve. The ability showed up soon after our team had arrived on Eath Beta and was attributed to the loss of her original partner Leomon, at least that's what Henry told me once.. A side affect of this weird ability is that she attracts any partners that have lost their human counterpart. Currently Guilmon and Beelzemon were hanging around her.

Kenta - Active
Partner - Active
Location - Room 8
A usually happy go lucky kid, now very serious since Kazu went MIA, blames me for his disappearance.

Yamaki - Active
Partner - Active
Location - Medical
Wife - Active
Partner - Active
The newest and most important pair of digidestined, they were to be responsible for making a new Hypnos installation on Earth Delta. It had been a stroke of luck that he and his wife had been off today, the first time in a long time they had felt secure enough to do so.

Of course Yamaki now blamed himself for taking the time off as if he could have stopped a Mega Level Digimon from destroying a building.

In a private conversation earlier, Izzy had discussed with him about remaking the installation and whether we would be able to do so. Yamaki and wife had both kept digital copies of the plans for Hypnos on them just in case. Though how they would code it so only our know good Digimon could come and go was still up in the air. Personally I think that the young Genai had done it. But we will never know now.

I close the screen in front of me and slowly slide down the wall as my legs weaken. The ground seems to slide up towards me as blackness enfolds me in its merciful grip.

------------------------

Looking down on Gatomons limp and injured body invoked a feeling of sadness and anger. Especially as the wounds had been earned in my defense, there was nothing I could do to stop him from hurting her AGAIN!

Slamming my hands down on my legs as not to wake her, "Damn it all! Why the hell did we originally give up our partners ultimate forms in the first place if this was going to happen!"

Having no more tears to shed, having long ago soaked the collar of my shirt from the tears that had already been shed at the amount of injuries incurred, the friends lost and the home once again abandoned.

Allowing myself a moment of self grief I raised my head and looked at the ceiling as if looking for answers from a divine source.

"We had just about moved in together! We were winning the battle, why now of all times!"

Lowering my head I shifted positions in the chair I had been sitting on. In the process of finding a more comfortable position the pain just seemed to emphasized the length of time I had been sitting in it.

Looking around while stretching, I smile a small one as Patamon comes flying in and lands beside Gatomon. Just like me and TK, the pair had become come friends and going even faster than us, lovers.

Status monitors showed that Gatomon was going to be fine, so instead of letting remorse set in, set to work so TK might be able to rest. I saw him outside a while back, must remember to go and have him lie down before he falls down from exhaustion.

Feeling a little stupid to talk to the ceiling, (it was still the best way to talk to Imperialdramon)I spoke up in a voice cracking from weeping. " Can you display our current losses on my D3 or another screen for me please?"

A room enveloping voice " one moment"

I lift my D3 and to my surprise a large screen appears behind it. A list scrolls down in red, I see it has been kept updated by TK as we lost people along the way as well as when the were lost.

Tai - MIA
Partner - MIA
Assumed to be KIA, both have been missing now since before leaving Earth Prime. Disappeared while on a search and destroy mission in the digital world )

Matt - MIA
Partner - MIA
Also assumed to be KIA, both went missing on a search mission looking for Tai.

Suzy - MIA
Partner - MIA
Joe - MIA
Partner - MIA
Mimi - MIA
Partner - MIA
All three members went missing after a search and destroy mission against a number of remaining dark tower constructs, the towers had achieved a sentient consciousness much like any digimon and had created their own army around their control abilities. A recon team was sent after they failed to report in, the army was no longer in existence, a battle had been fought but nothing was found of the three missing members

I narrow my eyes at the thought of Suzy, always trying to push herself on TK even though she had not even hit puberty. I had gotten to know her pretty well, especially as she was always trying to be there when we were together, never a moments privacy, at first I thought the crush was cute… that changed very quickly. Henry was devastated though. Speaking of Henry

Henry - KIA
Partner - KIA
Sacrificed himself alongside Azulongmon against the army of Sovereign Zhuqiaomon. Zhuqiaomon had been once again tainted against humanity by the Dark Digimons Commanders. After a long battle Henry and Azulongmon refused to retreat, fighting to the end they overloaded themselves through an unknown way and took the entire army with them. While this was a victory for us, the loss was very deep

I shake my head at the heroic loss of the two, not knowing if I could do the same in that situation.

Henry had felt that Suzy's disappearance was due to the attention TK showed Suzy. That the only reason she went was to prove something to TK. That he felt this way even though Henry knew me and TK were a couple hurt TK a lot and made a barrier between the two of them.

I don't think they ever reconciled that issue before he died and knowing TK, it probably eats at him a little.

Takato - MIA
Partner - Active
Takato went missing during the battle for escape from Earth Beta. Location Unknown at this time though Guilemon is currently onboard
I found him shy but trustworthy, always willing to get into it to help his friends. I hope he is alright.

Kazu - MIA
Partner - MIA
Much like Takato, Kazu was with us at one point and then was just gone, no signs were seen of him after takeoff.

Genai - MIA/KIA
Izzy reported that Genai was hit by a blast and was killed yet others have reported seeing him/talking to him since. Status like always unknown

Calumon - KIA
Killed by Mummymon during retreat. Positive side effect , All digimon now able to go to Ultimate and Mega Forms on own. Biomerging now available without his help or maybe it is because of his permanent help.

I always though that Calumon was cute, we all did. Only now do we realize how much power the little guy had and how much he helped us out, we can say quite frankly that he looks over us still!

I close down the screen after saving it and sending off a copy to TK's D3, a though hits me as I get up and stretch, none of our family's were listed at all on the list, might be TK's way of insulating himself and the rest of us from the painfully obvious reality that they are all dead or maybe just that only digidestined were on that list.

Stretched and ready to go, checking the monitors one more time, I smile as I see that Patamon is curled up right next to Gatomon with an ear over her protectively.

Closing the door quietly behind me I see TK on the lying on the ground as if asleep.

"imperialdramon, what room is open for TK to catch a nap in?"

A quick response follows "room #2 right around the corner from there"

Smiling I go over to him and kneel beside him. I reach down and start to shake him, I'm not too surprised there is no response at all thinking of all that happened today. Poor guy must be completely out of it. Standing I look around for some help, seeing nobody I decide to drag him to a bed or at least a chair. Wrapping my arms around him I feel a something sticky almost like sap on my hand, looking at it, my heart quickens. Blood, He's wounded, and he didn't tell us! You fool!. I check his pulse quickly, it's there but erratic.

I pull up his shirt and just about lose my nearly non-existent breakfast, a wound has been gouged out about the width and depth of a pencil all the way up his side to just before the armpit. The wound has sealed in some areas and is infected from the looks of the white tinge at other points.

The basic medical treatment we all have gotten seems to rush out of my head, back of the hand to his neck, he's hot, check forehead, seems like a fever.

Definite blood infection. Pulling my D3; " SORA! IZZY! I NEED HELP NOW! TK IS HURT BAD! "

Sora and Izzy come running, I notice the blush on both their faces but put it aside for now, more important things to pay attention to.

Minutes pass as Sora does her 'nurse' thing. She says nothing to multiple inquiries after TK's well being as a crowd of the others start to assemble nearby. I could punch the bitch for it but I will make her suffer later, not like she can run far.

Noise comes from behind us so I turn my head to see which digimon I can take my frustrations out on. I am met by the concerned faces of the others, it just goes to show me just how much the rest have come to depend on him, even though 'he' probably doesn't realize how much.

Sora finally opens her mouth, better make it good, I have just about had it with you.

" He's lost a lot of blood and frankly I don't have the stitching training, I was absent that day" The bitch looks over at Izzy blushing again.

Well that answers that question real easily. My face must be blood red from the pent up anger I am trying to hold back, that is until I see everyone looking at me.

" You're the only one that has the training Kari" she looked down at TK with a sad smile " that is if you weren't absent as well that is".

My mind wouldn't focus, I had the training it's true, but I never thought I would need to use it on anyone, a doll maybe like in the training but not a live human and not my Takeru!

Looking straight at Sora wishing I was more confident in my own skills and that I didn't need her help I finally had to speak up or I would pass out from oxygen dep. " I'll need your help but lets do this, I wont lose him!"

Hours Later…

I'm Exhausted I have to admit. They made it seem so much easier in the military medical training that I was grudgingly given back on Earth Prime at the beginning of the war. Not without great effort do I raise my head a little to look at TK's limp and bandaged body.

Raising my head just a little more I see Sora, fallen asleep in her chair, still coated with the blood and sweat accumulated from helping me with TK. She had repaired her earlier slight in my eyes very quickly and now I could see how blinded by worry I had been. How stupid I had been acting at that moment toward my friend.

I look back down at my hands, still bloody from the work of stitching him back together, washing them off in a bowl beside me I relax a little now that it is over.

No one else knows just how much strength he has to use to put up a positive front, how much Tai and Matt's deaths still eat away at him at all times.

How I hate to see him like this, my strong a proud and yet vulnerable Takeru.

Only once before had I seen him this bad, it had been a devastating blow for him, and yet it had brought the two of them even closer together.

Sleep finally wins out as I lower my arms onto the bed and using them as a pillow, drift off… and remember.

FLASHBACK

The bloody sirens had been going on and off for 2 whole days now. It was amazing what you could get used to and eventually sleep through after a certain time period.

The alarm wails from right above my head on the wooden pole warning other prefectures of the still ongoing battle with the Dark Digimon attack force.

Head still pounding I head to where the rest of the group was being held. Yes held was the right word, were not allowed to get involved in the fighting, the only fighters Earth had to fight off the Dark Digimon were not allowed to fight. If it wasn't so stupid I might be giggling at the thought.

The human casualties world wide had been enormous, so far the only solidified front was ours and some hold outs among the American Digidestined who had been encouraged to fight by the Government forces. After the first attack the Combined Digidestined Council had decided to come forward, some countries welcomed the help, others automatically arrested the human partners and took the digimon partners for "testing".

Communications had been severed for a time from the rest of the council after that, Izzy's last communication out to the general members had been to hide and not come out unless they or their family's were in danger. Those smart enough rounded up the rest of the members in their area and found somewhere defendable to hole up until help or information was supplied.

I walk past the 'guards' there to protect us from the enemy, waste of time as they are just being used as jailers. In the last few weeks since our imprisonment I had gotten to talk to a few of them and from the sounds of it, they didn't like the commander in charge just as much as we didn't.

The commander was an old time hard liner, followed protocols to the line and considered us digidestined both tainted and traitors against humanity. The only reason they still had their partners was the fact they had threatened him (both human and digimon alike) that they would fight him themselves if he tried.

Soon after the remains of the Japanese Government told him to lay off and leave us alone.

He of course decided that they were wrong and confined us to his base camp as soon as the government council was killed a day later.

As always the familiar presence of Gatomon was beside me keeping me from harm from both sides, kidnapping not thought below the commanders tactics to getting what he wants.

I finally reach the central command center, a rich powerful way to refer to an old military tent held over and still intact from World War 2, the mothball smell sickeningly hung in the air.

I walk in and into another argument between Tai, Matt and the Commander and Lt. Commander.

Sora and Mimi flanking their respective guy just listened in, the Lt. Commander doing the same.

The commander had his hand on his hips like some cheap show girl, smiling like he had single handedly won the war. " I have given you kids lots of rope to hang yourselves and now you finally show your true colors, now do I have you shot and waste a bullet or do I hang your worthless ass's from a telephone pole"

Tai looked ready to slug him, Matt put his arm up and waved Tai back looking straight at the Commander with a look of patience that was surprising.

" As I told the Lt. Commander, my brother took it upon himself to go look for our mother, Patamon went with him as he is his partner, not because he is the enemy or that he kidnapped my brother. The only reason he did this on his own and snuck out is because YOU refused to help him or send anybody into that area, nor would you allow us to go with your soldiers … "

The commander thrust his hand out pointing at Matt " you will not talk to me in that manner, your brother is a traitor who has now escaped confinement to tell the enemy our plans, I will be sending troops out to capture and if needed kill him if he resis "

At that Mimi and Sora both stepped forward and slapped the commander, one from each side. The shock and the impact making his face blood red.

Tai stepped forward at this point bringing the girls to stand behind him, " you deserved that and you know it commander, we have dealt directly with you with honesty so far" an edge started to creep into his voice " however if you continue this attitude and do not start allowing us to help you we will simply remove you and let someone who has the best interests of all instead of themselves and their careers in charge"

The commander face twisted with outrage, Tai simply raised his hands in a motion of silence and the commanding nature of it shocked the Commander into further silence.

I noted that the Lt. Commander has a little smile formed at the edge of his mouth, the man had been much easier to deal with and I had felt that he was on our side.

Silence occurred for a few moments while the commander went from red to purple and then back to a healthier color.

I took that moment to leave as it was just going to get even nastier from that point out having been through a few of these 'discussions' before.

My head seemed in a daze as I walked away from the tent, I headed toward the east gate almost instinctively, knowing that's the way TK would have gone out toward his apartment.

I was snapped out of my haze suddenly and almost fell back on my rear. Gatomon had grabbed my hand and was holding on tightly.

"Look Kari, if he made it out with bacon boy I sure as hell can get us out of here, just give me leave to knock some of these guys out, I promise not to hurt them too much!"

I couldn't help but smile at her, she would do anything for me, and I will never take her for granted. I started to open my mouth to speak when she continued on thinking I was hesitating to hurt the soldiers.

"look lets give them another hour to get back! He has been gone since around noon, it's been 4 hours which is more than enough time to be on the way back with his mother."

I just shake my head and keep walking for the gate; her still beside me.

I decided to ignore Gatomons grumbling from beside me, the fact she cared enough about TK and Patamon enough to waste her breath on small talk was a sign of how much they had each changed over the last 2 years since MaloMyotismon had met defeat.

While she and TK had only dated a little here and there they had defiantly become a couple, first in the others eyes and finally in each others eyes. Gatomon and Patamon however might as well be married at the way they argued.

"KARI! We've got trouble, I'm sensing digimon coming from the east and they aren't ours, RUN!"

I didn't hesitate for a second, breaking into a run for the nearest internal phone station. I grabbed the phone and waited for the longest 3 seconds ever to get the switchboard.

I heard someone pickup " switchboard how ca.. " I interrupted her, civility taking a back door in times like this yelling "Get me onto either the commander or any of the digidestined in the area, NOW!"

In most situations the switchboard operator would not have hesitated to hang up being totally in support of the Commander, but since they had been under battle conditions for the last couple of days a little leeway was being shown I guessed as I was being transferred.

Finally moments later the phone was picked up "Commander Walker here, who is this?"

"Commander this Kari Kamiya, we have incoming enemy forces from the east!"

My face burned as I heard him laugh from the other end " Is this a joke little girl, we don't appreciate jokes here, we already have one traitor out of the camp I wont have another get out like him! If you do this again I will have all of you locke " (explosion in background) and the phone went dead in my hand.

"Kari we need to run, that was the command post that was hit, come on!" Gatomon grabbed my hand and started to pull me away from the phone.

I looked around as I was being pulled away, the guards had already taken up a defensive front looking outward onto the battlefield, not realizing that they would be dead before the could fire a shot.

Suddenly I am flying up through the air, now I am falling, the ground rushing up at me, I close my eyes hoping that at least Gatomon makes it away safely. I hear more explosions and it feels like being tossed in all directions. I finally impact onto something … soft. Losing consciousness I struggle to open my eyes and I see Gururumon…

The last thing I remember is another explosion before oblivion enveloped me.

Light filters through my eye lids as I start to come back to wakefulness, my body feels like it is floating on air, nothing above and below. My eyes come open and I see the has not set so not too much time has passed. I realize why I feel so weird, I am in a hammock in the medical wing. A twinge goes through my left side and my head feel like it has doubled.

A nurse walks in and smiles toward me, something that very few personnel in the camp had ever done to any of us.

"Your awake I see. Glad to see that you are up and around, your friends will be quite glad about that! You have no major injuries that we could find but you hit your head and side at some point during the battle "

I feel resentment that she is so cheerful, we were just in a battle, people were killed more than likely! Pushing my feelings down I ask the question I am almost afraid to ask.

"Did we win?"

She smiled and the weight disappeared somewhat from my stomach.

"We pushed them back, casualties were low thanks to your friends, In fact now that the Commander is gone you all should have an easier time of things"

While I did not like the man, no-one deserves to die, "is he dead or just injured?"

She shook her head "dead, not much was left of him from the initial sortie. That's the first time they have done that, top brass thinks they are altering their strategies to be more like our own."

Smiling the nurse lowered herself to look straight at into her eyes. " and don't you worry about your friends, one of the young men hurt his arm but beyond that, both groups of them made it out of the battle fine." She stood back up and looked out of the temporary tent building " in fact they have been asking about you, I will find the one, your brother I believe? And send him over"

I pushed myself into a sitting position (Hard in a hammock dammit!) " please, where's my partner Gatomon, the cat like digimon?"

Before the nurse could answer I hear a yawn from right underneath me " Hi Kari, glad to see you finally woke up! Can't believe how many digimon we had to beat back earlier, wish I could go to my Ultimate form but that's life you know!"

The nurse just shook her head and left the tent.

"So Kari, when are we leaving to find TK and pig boy? I have a backpack over against the wall and nobody is going to stop one of us after that last battle, too many of the soldiers saw how close they came to dying if we had not been here."

" In fact now that the old commander has been knocked off it looks like communication with the other groups have been opened, the old idiot had been blocking all signals into the base, even his own militaries."

"Looks like it was just this commander and a few other military leaders in other countries going against their respective governments and not wanting to rely on 'unproven things'. At least that's what I overheard Tai, Matt and Izzy talking with the Lieutenant commander. " Gatomon shugged her shoulders as if it didn't matter to her.

Doing a flip out of her Hammock, Gatomon went and grabbed the backpack and dragged it over to me. "Well… Lets go!"

I couldn't help but smile at this, her mind was made up so I just smiled, stood up and shouldered the backpack in one smooth motion. Hearing movement coming toward the tent we both headed out the other side not wanting anyone else to be included just in case. Walking like we had a purpose, we went past the parameter guard with a wave and were gone into the destroyed areas of the city.

About 3 hours later

My arms hurt. My legs hurt. My side and head hurt. Gatomon at my side is hurting but through sheer ego and willpower wont let on to it.

We both now realized why TK had not made it back as fast as we thought he should have. The rubble and debris blocking the roads and walkways was everywhere, both purposely and from battle damage. The military had built in the first days of the war, a whole number of blockades segregating the known entry point from the rest of the populous. If they had been asked they would have told them how ineffectual this was but nobody wanted kids opinions.

Unfortunately wherever a blockade had been breached, the buildings surrounding it had been blasted down through either the explosive force of the digimons attack or through explosives planted by human hands.

Due to the length of the battle on hand, the bodies of the friendly forces and civilians had not yet been collected and so decaying bodies could be seen and smelt in some areas.

We were only about a ½ mile away from TK's old apartment, it now being in sight finally.

Suddenly we both stumbled as we saw more than heard a muted explosion. I fell to my knees as I watched TK's apartment building go down into a crumbling ruin.

"Kari! Look it's Angemon, there is still hope he's alive!"

Kicking myself from the moment of self doubt, as I got up and saw Angemon dodge to one side and return fire, he was high enough that he would be visible back from the military camp; if they were looking that is.

A group of Bakumon was in quick pursuit as Angemon moved back and forth between buildings, coming closer all the time.

Angemon suddenly took a hit from an energy ball from below knocking him out of the air and destroying all the Bakumon. Angemon crashed to the ground close to their current position.

I looked down at Gatomon, her distress horribly visible on her feline face. Without a second thought for me Gatomon rushed off to find the crashed Angemon leaving me behind to follow at a slower but no less frantic pace. Angemon may have survived that fall but if TK had been with him it would most likely of killed him.

In their rush they both gained their own fair share of cuts and bruises, a sense of haste destroyed any lasting thoughts of stealth.

Finally we reached the impact crater where Angemon had gone down, no sign of Angemon was there but to our horror we could see a trail of blood leading away from the impact site. It didn't take long until we found the seriously wounded Patamon leaning up against a wall unconscious.

Gatomon let out a cry and jumped over to the wounded digimon, "come on Patamon, get up" she started to shake him, hoping that he was still somewhat conscious.

Patamon opened one bruised eye and gave her a weak little smile, " hi there, got one of those nine lives you can loan me?"

Gatomon enfolded him in an enormous hug and began to cry, the beating that he had taken shocking both human and digimon alike.

I wanted to wrap them both in a hug and hold on for dear life. However warring emotions crashing within me both for the digimon as well as my friend made me hold my ground. He was supposed to stay by TK; protect him like Gatomon protects me, how can he have done this to us!

After crying herself out, Gatomon got a hold of her emotions for my sake more so than her own, pushing me away from him. In a cracking voice spoke to Patamon much more harshly than needed for this case. " okay bacon butt, where is TK, did you two get separated, Kari needs to know! What happened?"

"KARI'S HERE!" he tried to struggle a bit to be able to look at me but finally gave up as Gatomon wouldn't let him move and his injuries would not allow too much movement.

I realized that one eye was swollen totally shut so he had not seen me. The fact he had not felt my hug meant he was hurt more than he looked. I went over to and then opened my backpack for the bandages I knew Gatomon would have stored in it.

"TK got away from the building that much I know, last I saw he was running away from a couple of Tyranomon. There must have been a third that neither of us noticed as that's what nailed me. I was mostly hurt by the explosion that me and TK set off in the parkade of his apartment."

I sat down hard beside the pack, grief must have shown visibly as Gatomon urged Patomon on with his story in hope of some good new.

He then explained all that had happened since the two of them had left that day

" and here I am, I'm down but not out, however I'm starting to feel real tired" He yawned and started to close his one open eye.

Gatomon smacked him across his side with her tail and he let out a scream of pain " digimon and partner exchanged looks of concern

My anger at the little digimon at the imagined abandonment pushed aside, I rose and went over to him. Lifting him as gently as I could I could feel a number of broken bones and see where a metal spike had been imbedded in his side as well.

My eyes filled with tears for just how much pain her must have been enduring while telling his story, how stupid I was for the anger I had felt. As my vision blurred a little I felt his ear brush the tears aside.

Now I really wanted to cry, he was more sad for me then himself. Steeling myself I put him down on a blanket I had, I looked over at Gatomon and made a painful decision for the both of us.

TK would have to wait.

We started by removing all the debris both pin cushioning him as well as possibly infecting his wounds, using a quarter of the bandages on him made him look like a pig mummy and Gatomon must have read my mind as she pointed this out to him.

Finally bandaged with wounds cleaned I lowered him into the backpack nicely lined so he wouldn't be hurt more than he already was.

" Okay we need to get you back to camp" a shadow covered my face " I have no doubt that TK is fine, you however need more medical attention than I have with me" with a sense of defeat I looked back towards my original goal. Forcing my gaze from the ruins of his home I start back toward the camp and medical attention.

"Come on Gatomon, we don't have all day!"

My heart breaking, I didn't risk looking back again.

Next Day

The two of them had been in major trouble when they had gotten back, Tai, Sora, Matt and Mimi had all done a debrief in front of the Lieutenant Commander turned Commander. Debriefing having a new definition of torment and interrogate as well as chastise.

In the end they had not blamed us, Matt had wanted to go immediately out after TK but was refused by council vote. No one was to leave just yet. It had turned out to be a good thing as we came back under attack hours later, this time though the Dark Digimon was fought to a standstill and pushed back. Afterward the digidestined had counter attacked and removed this pocket of resistance entirely.

Me and Sora had been partnered up for the counter attack, in packs of two we had all fought and battered back the enemy forces easily with a little fire support from HQ. During the battle however Sora has been hurt by shrapnel from a metal beam, a shard had punctured her leg forcing me to help drag her rear end to a medical station not far away. Afterward, before anyone could order me to do anything else I had gone back out without anyone else on a area 'reconnaissance' to try and find any other enemy units. This of course being a excuse to find what happened to TK.

We traveled for about a mile in the direction of the apartment complex before Gatomon stopped and told me to get down, a group of digimon we did not recognize were in a circle around a broken TV the middle.

I could see Gatomon trying hard not to laugh at them "they must be really stupid if they don't realize that the TV has no power and can't get them back into the digital world"

We watched for about 20 minutes until they finally gave up and left. Using a radio I called in and gave the co-ordinates to the switchboard before turning it to silent.

We both stood up and looked around. The city was in worse shape than it had been in after Myotismons original rampage through the real world. I honestly thought the area was a waste of time trying to rebuild at this point but the government had already started construction behind friendly lines, soon the whole city could be a safe zone, but I doubted it.

Gatomon being the sensible one called a break for a quick rest, I leaned back against a semi-intact wall and lowered my sore body to the ground.

I looked over to where Gatomon was curled up beside me, I had a few thought going through my mind and I had to get a second opinion.

"This should have never happened; we beat them years ago and had more than 2 years of peace. Where did they come from? Suddenly all our enemies were back, they were not reborn through Primary Village or we would have had a little warning, could have stopped it before it got this bad!"

Gatomon uncurled and came over to curl up on my lap. I petted her as she thought about what I had asked and what I had implied.

" Well Kari, it is always possible that there is a dark version of the Primary Village, granted that does not explain why they all at first came from the original but we cannot overlook that possibility. Maybe the Dark Masters made it in preparation for their possible defeat. Maybe they are all dark spire style recreations with the memories copied on top of them."

Finally she stretched and bounced off my lap.

"In the end we don't know where they came back from, it only matters that they are back and more powerful than ever. Lets move on now"

Time went by as we got closer and then passed where Angemon had gone down yesterday. The sun was just going over the horizon by the time they had made it most of the way one way. I knew Tai was going to have a cow once I got back, especially after ditching Sora and going back out. Curfew for all civilian and military units was nightfall.

I checked my pocket for any messages from the others on my D3, so far nothing, had come through so I was safe; so far. As a worst case scenario I could call for help and give them my co-ordinates to come get me if needed, though I had better at least find evidence of TK to justify it.

Gatomon suddenly stopped and her hair stuck right out like a porcupine.

"Kari, I can smell TK, he's somewhere around here, his smell is heavy in the air" she jumped up onto a pile of ruble barely recognizable as a tank. She pointed in a direction just off of the path they had been taking. "He's somewhere over there!"

I ran, nothing was getting in my way this time, nothing.

The terrain seemed to blur as Gatomon rushed one way and another, through alleys and over rubble.

I lost track of her, unable to even hear sounds of her in the distance. I stop, waiting for some signal from her to go in one direction or another.

"KARI over here"

I yank my head to the left side, there in the alleyway leaning back against the wall is Takeru. Gatomon kneeling beside him.

My heart races as I run over to his prone body, it goes back to semi-normal as I see him slowly breathing in and out.

Taking a good look I can see just how bad of shape he is in, looks like the first signs of dehydration from the chapped lips and that's just to start. From the looks of him, he has been through hell. His arm is dislocated from the odd angle it is resting at. His legs have been pretty badly hurt as well, I see purple splotches in multiple points.

I gently shake his good shoulder "Takeru, wake up! The cavalry has arrived, please wake up Takeru"

Why wont he wake up! Is he in a coma, I need help and I need it right now.

I'm starting to panic without even realizing it, "Kari Snap out of it, he'll be okay, he's exhausted"

Gatomon being the sensible one goes over and grabs TK's arm and quickly snaps the arm back into place.

His eye's snap open for a moment before closing again.

Frowning down " well at least he has a reason for being unconscious now"

"You had better call for help Kari, we cant place him in your backpack or your arms for transport" and then in a whispered voice low enough that she thinks I cant hear her "even if you would like him in your arms…"

My face turns red as I try to deny what she is saying, but I cant; so I let it go with a look at her informing her that revenge would be mine later.

I un-strap the radio from my hip and look for signal, figures the one time I need it I cant get one.

"Okay Gatomon, we will put him down on a blanket right now just to get him in a prone position and then I will go off and find a signal to get someone out here to help transport him."

With that we both very gently shift him down from the alley wall and put him on the blanket, he let out little grunts and sighs as we moved him but in the end he had to be more comfortable now.

"I'll be back, watch him and keep him safe"

"I should be out there keeping you safe! But seeing as he means so much to you I will do as you ask, just don't go far or else I can do it!"

And so I left, trying to find a high point without putting myself in too much 'undue' risk of harm. I didn't like leaving them but he was injured way beyond my ability. That was one weakness I was going to have to eliminate, what good it have the basics without being able to help completely.

I felt a weird Deja-vu feeling as I came near to TK's fallen apartment. Using the rubble as a prop, I managed to get to a shielded height where I was not open to long distance attack.

The radio in my hand came to life as a signal was finally established, " ri … do you cop.. This is HQ Call ng Kari" my heart stops for a second, could there be more trouble, we hadn't heard any more explosions or sounds of battle but maybe the area had shielded and muffled the sounds.

I finally raise the radio and respond " This is Kari, do you copy HQ? "

Tai's voice came through LOUD and clear, the anger quite noticeable " Kari! Where are you, relay your location and what the hell you are doing out there alone and after nightfall!"

All I could do is sigh at this. Leave it to Tai to not only rebuke me in front of anyone there in the radio room but also on an open channel.

" Roger that Tai, I am currently on top of the rubble from TK's old apartment building. I have found TK and his injuries are substantial, need immediate medical evac. No hostiles in the area. I don't want to risk moving him by myself!" I followed this with the coordinates to his position.

A couple minutes of silence followed making me think the radio had lost signal " Did you copy that HQ?"

"We copy Kari, I just talked it over with the commander and he is authorizing a chopper, please get back to TK, ETA is 120 minutes. Over"

"Roger that Tai, see you sometime later then"

Smiling I jumped down haphazardly down the rubble and tripped. The world seemed to spin and pain shot through my right arm. Grabbing my arm it came away wet with blood, I moved the fabric of my sleeve aside and gapped, a massive gash was sliced deep into my arm. I looked around to see what could have caused it as what I saw froze me in place.

A scythe.

I find my footing and spin around looking for him, the scythe is part of him so it should not exist if he did not. Patamons story from the day before rushed through my mind, maybe just maybe he was gone and the circumstances led to it being left behind.

Thoughts continued to race through my mind with no reasonable outcomes. Finally after what seemed an eternity of NOT being attacked, I came back to my senses. If his weapon was still here I had better take it with me just in case to show Izzy. I grabbed it and the shaft shrunk down to a smaller size to accommodate my hand.

I stood there for a moment just staring at it in my hand, granted I had never seen anyone other than Phantomon wield it but it was still a strange feeling having it in my hand.

Out of nowhere a blast shot out and impacted beside her. A new digimon I had never seen before jumped out from behind a wrecked car. It was like a Agumon but larger and a dark red. It had claws and workable arms with a large tail behind it. Its grin showed a row of red stained pointy teeth.

Not moving my gaze from it's gaze I scanned for ways to get back to Gatomon, nothing jumped out at me, except the digimon that is.

A claw came in at me from the left, I jump backwards and roll putting my back to the open street rather than wall of rubble. It comes at me again, jumping into the air and diving towards me. I dodge again carefully keeping the opening to my back, looking for the split second to run.

It stopped and looked at me. I stopped and looked at it. I could see an internal struggle going on behind it's eyes. As if it was being controlled. I doubted it was a dark spire creation, we had wiped all those out that we knew of, and this one was much stronger than a single or even a double spire creation.

Looking around without moving my head escape routes went through my head and just as easily disappeared. Darkness "What the fuck am I going to do now? I need to get back to Gatomon but if I try to leave it attacks!" Escape routes went through my head and just as easily disappeared. Darkness had fallen by now and my eyes, while adjusted to the night had no chance of out pacing a digimon's eyes.

My uneasiness made me lazy, the scythe fell from my hand and hit the ground with a clang, it must have been my eyes or the darkness affecting me but it seemed to shift forms.

My time was up, the digimon attacked with a volley of flame balls launched in a pattern of death.

My blood seemed to boil from the heat surrounding me, though the fire was everywhere I had not been directly hit. Raising myself to my knees, I see the fire burning in an exact circle around me. Something shone like polished metal, A Blade!

Of course that had to be the moment the dam digimon chose to walk through it's own flames, dam strengths against their own attacks. Like to shove that fire up it's ass with a whole container of Propane.

It knew it had me trapped, had no doubt that it could kill me. So be it then, if I was going, it was with a fight.

It charged and I leapt for the blade, time slowed down to a crawl as my hand reached for the blade, the digimons claw coming closer.

I swung the blade as hard as I could at that oncoming claw, a scream filled the air. Breathing hard I stood, using the blade as a makeshift cane.

There on the ground as the severed claw, right behind it was the digimon, rolling around in pain, screaming out in pain still more.

It finally stopped and came to it's feet, looking at it, I could see a clarity in it's eyes that it did not have before.

The hand disappeared from the ground and appeared back in its original place on it's arm.

A portal opened up and it steadily walked towards it, I could see a place much like earth through it.

It turned its head back toward me, I raised the blade just in case.

"Me sorry, my friend calls me, Goodbye"

With that it walked through and was gone, leaving me surrounded by scorched earth.

I slowly made my way out the gate and back to Gatomons location; it took almost 60 minutes for the return trip, 3 times what it took to get there.

Without a word to Gatomon I hobbled over to the backpack and grabbed bandages for myself, her jaw dropped at how dirty and worn I looked.

"I told you so!"

It hurt to smile but I still did. "Yeah you did" I nod at TK " has TK woken up at all?"

The digimon just shook her head "No he has been out like a light the whole time, I tried to get him some water but he almost choked and gagged it all up, other than that no response"

I look at the ground and sure enough the area surrounding his head was wet with moisture.

(Thought bubble pops up)

We see Gatomon opening Tk's mouth and a bottle is propped upside-down in his mouth as it's level slowly goes down and stomach expands.

(End thought bubble)

I shake my head to get the image out of my head, my face really hurts but my smile becomes one to rival even the grinchs in those old Christmas cartoons as I realized one way to get some 'water' into him.

Reaching down I grab the bottle (only a quarter full now) and raise it to my lips taking a small sip and give TK a kiss transferring it slowly as to run down his throat.

Of course he would choose this moment to wake up…

His eyes fluttered open as I finished the kiss; he wearily smiles that cute smile at me as he swallows the remaining water I just gave him.

His voice sounds like a fish had gargled razor blades and then learned to talk.

"Thanks Kari, for everything. I don't think I will try to get up to hug you for it just now but remind me for a rain check will you?"

A tear fell off my face, he really did care about me in the same way I cared for him.

"Why wait for later for what can be done today" And kneeling down I hugged him to me.

Finally after a few minutes I let him go a little and started to rise to my feet, he used his good arm to pull me back down and returned the Kiss I had given him earlier.

We stayed like that for while until we heard the chopper coming. Finally allowed to get to my feet by TK, I went to my backpack and took a flare out and activated it, I then threw it into the nearby wreckage.

The medical helicopter landed about 300 feet from us in the middle of a street without much wreckage, air blowing stray debris all over the place. Med techs came out with stretchers toward us.

I guess they like to be prepared, not like I need a stretcher, maybe some help or a crutch, my left ankle felt like hell right now, not that I would admit it to anyone, let alone TK.

One came towards me and I recognized her as the nurse who had welcomed me earlier the previous day. A frown was evident and her posture showed that I was not in her good graces.

"You do like to disobey and anger everyone around you don't you Ms. Kamiya?", "Your brother was pretty steamed at you, not to mention Ms. Sora. I do believe her threat to handcuff you to her next time was both serious and valid!"

Cringing I force myself to keep eye contact, not letting her know that she's right in and way shape or form.

"However, in this case it seems to have worked out for the best, you saved one of your own and that means something to the rest back at camp. Even the soldiers!" She flashed a pretty smile at me while saying that. "We need as many of you digidestined as we can to help us fight!"

I grinned at her show of respect, barely able to hold myself up leaning heavily on the wall behind me. "You have our full support, you know that maam. We are here to stay!"

She frowned again "While your group may be here to stay, the amount of blood you have lost may become critical soon, your bandage is caked with blood, what happe.."

The ground who had been my close friend over the last few days seemed to reach up to catch me on my way down.

The nurse grabbed my arm and steadied me. "I need a stretcher here! "

My vision was blurred and I was unable to see with any clarity what was around me. Time faded and then snapped back into place. I was in a stretcher on the helicopter right beside TK, my hand being held in his, I Squeezed back and he looked at me.

"Hey there Kari, they were more worried about you than me that slash was really bad up your arm and the blood-loss made you faint. Gatomons directly below you resting finally, guess she trusts that nurse over there, surprising!"

The nurse was strapped into the crash chair, smiled at me and went back to reading the charts in front of her.

"Yeah, she helped us out yesterday after the attack."

"ATTACK!" TK lifted himself momentarily before crashing down into the stretcher with groan.

The nurse was over to him in a moment, "Don't do that again young man, Ms. Kamiya here risked her life yesterday and today to come and find you. Don't hurt yourself any more with any silly stupidity and just lay there! None of your friends are dead or badly injured so just calm down."

He looked back at me after the nurse went and strapped back in. "You came looking for me? Thanks but why Kari, I am not that important to risk your life over to save me!"

My eyes started to tear up on me, emotion, one of my weakness' warring with the sudden feeling of anger in me.

"Don't be stupid Takeru! You would do the same thing in a moment for me, probably even farther! You have no idea how much you mean to me… US.."

He looked shocked, you think a guy would get the picture after kissing each other for so long already that day.

"I'm sorry Kari, you know I care about you but I never really knew until earlier how you felt about me, and even then I though maybe it was just an emotional outburst."

He blushed and sort of shrunk into himself "I was scared that maybe it was just me being hopeful on my end".

Finally the air was clear between us, our feelings evident and free.

We just lay there, holding hands silently with grins.

All in all as long as were together it would all be alright from then on.

End Flashback

The three of us appeared at yet another location, the stranger still enshrouded in black, his presence spooky yet the aura of power encircling him seemed comforting after seeing that last scene.

We stood in the air, ground far below us. We looked around at the surrounding landscape, it was a black tinged dreary area, pocked with craters as if a child had dropped small rocks into clear black sand, all except one area in a valley but they could not see into it. No life was evident for as far as the eye could see, the only building was an eerie blackish stained castle.

Finally the stranger pointed at the castle " What you see here is the direct result of those who dwell in that castle, you will find no life outside those walls, just as the occupant demand it be. Death, decay, misery, pain and, above all else, conquest was what they enjoyed and they were very good at it."

"Be glad you cannot see into that valley, there lies a corruption of humanity so great to see it is to lose all hope, a garden of evil, trophies of the past best fallen to dust and given final rest."

He raised his arms to the sky and lightning flashed as if in response "Where there were once 12 main digidestined here, now there are none, they and their kind have been chased from here to another Earth, Beta earth if you will. Stage 1 of their journey is past them though the actions of some of them will haunt the rest for the rest of their lives."

He waved his hand and they now stood in a large meeting hall.

The pair shrunk back, the darkness and evil sickeningly obvious in both the manner the assembly looked and the faces filled with dark grins of humor.

His voice from behind them came fast and clear, not afraid of anyone hearing them at all.

"The generals here fought and conquered this world and its digital plain; the two have now begun melding with each other." With that he pointed out a large hole in the room into the distance, lighting flashed and a large clock tower now leaning sharply to the side could be seen next to a partially destroyed statue of a woman holding a torch high.

"Something even I cannot explain happened shortly after the Dark Forces 'Master' appeared. The fallen digimon from both sides no longer disintegrated into their data bits and were thus restored to the land; NO they left behind bodies and this allowed the dark forces much glee. Now finally they would have proof of their enemy's demise as well as the matter of bloody trophies."

"The head members of this auspicious group were all digimon that were defeated by the digidestined once upon a time, all deleted forever or so we had all hoped. Some have been beaten a second time and thus are hopefully forever removed but the most dangerous ones still remain, and then there is IT!"

He simply pointed to a Dark Archway with nothing showing on the other side. The darkness so thick that it seemed to swallow all light that dared to come near.

Something formed of the darkness came out and seated itself on a chair of solid onyx that slid up from below it. The darkness increased to make the form unrecognizable.

Below IT but still above the general concourse level sat the generals, cloaked in a lesser form of shadow but made no less sinister because of it. 9 of them surrounding a round table.

Their attention was brought back up to the black form above

"It is unknown whether it is Human or digimon or something else altogether. The only thing for certain is that to defy it is death for those below it. Everything is below it here. Only the powerful rise and the weak fall short and are crushed. In the old days each of them would have rushed to kill each other so as to become the #1, now that sort of infighting leads to both parties destruction. Their 'master' does not allow it. He brought them back, he can destroy them"

The taller of the pair looked about to ask a question before the stranger waved them to silence

"It begins"

A voice harsh and loud, easily able to reach clearly to all in the audience hall erupted from within the dark form.

"HEAR ME NOW!"

A cold wind blew through the hall, nothing made a sound.

"I am feeling in a good mood today, we now have almost full control of both human and digital worlds, soon they will merge to become one land ruled through you for me. I have overheard some .. questions .. from various sources. Questions that could be considered treason, accusing me of not knowing what I am doing. "

A couple white frigimon and an assortment of others scattered across the floor burst into flames and were gone in an instant.

"That out of the way, I will now explain myself, don't get used to this, I will only do this once."

The Stranger waved his hand and they were now closer to the front, able to see things with more detail, though now hidden by a pillar from direct sight of the main table. "Keep quiet, this close it may be able to sense even me here"

A large digital 3D screen appeared above the generals table.

"I ordered you to allow some of the digidestined to get away, an order that some of you decided to ignore, we may talk later, then again, DIE!"

One of the generals now burst into flame, "put me out, for the…. Ahhhhhhhh" Wood smoke and the smell of still burning wood slowly filled the audience hall as the wind filtered it around.

The pair looked at each other; raw fear filled each others eyes at the casual display of aggression.

"now then, as I was saying before having to display why none of you should anger me, there is a reason to my madness" A number of glowing Blood red eyes rotated inside the black form for a moment before disappearing again.

"The reason I ordered them to be able to escape was because only they knew how to get to the remaining third world, the one that has been lost from both the vermin of humanity we know as well as the digital plain we now control. I was originally from there, but was banished due to the efforts of the digimon there. Don't get any ideas…" Even the pair felt the feeling of eyes upon them at this statement.

The image changed to a strange digital world.

"As I have told some of you, the digital world is the original world; there was no difference between the two." The picture shifted and showed a slow shifting from one plane to another, then split into the known 2 different world with its 2 planes. Finally a third fragment went flying off long into the darkness and split into 2 planes as well.

"Then long ago this happened. Digimon fought digimon and human fought human in a battle that has made any other so far seem insignificant."

"This battle caused a rupture that separated humans from digimon by an actual plane of existence, though for digimon the time was much longer than the humans went through"

"It is this third fragment is where they are going to, that I have allowed them to go to. At first I thought they were just going to disappear to some other part of the digital world. However our prisoners downstairs in the dungeons have been most… helpful as you may have heard earlier"

The grin could be felt as a tangible item.

"However I have become bored here, I am going away for a time, I leave my new consort and now second in command to order you around and follow my plans. At least I know she will remain loyal"

The darkness sucked back into the arch and disappeared, the dark force removed itself and the atmosphere trembled with the pressure gone.

The pair looked around and for the first time noticed the stranger was gone, looking around they both jumped as he popped back into place, "dam it, almost figured out where he went, oh well next time then, we have a few minutes before the bitch shows up"

Now the pair was really confused, the stranger had never talked this way before, maybe this was more personal than just a history lesson perhaps.

Not wanting to ask any questions as to rile the stranger they waited, watching the crowd shuffle back and forth, not making any noise, waiting to see who not only would lead them, but had the courage to bed IT.

They managed to overhear some parts of conversations from those generals that risked conversation.

"So, my love, who do you think the master would have bedded among us, who is not here right at the moment?" one shadow whispered toward another.

A nearby hand reached out and smacked the speaker "Shut up bandage breath! IT might hear you or its new patsy; I don't want to be destroyed as easily as that fool was!"

Finally a short humanoid form draped in black as deep as the portal stepped through and sat on the throne left vacated by IT. A dark form with angular shoulders going above far above the head and flopping down came though next standing veiled by the darkness.

The voice came through in a firm but rough tone, obviously female. From the reactions of those among the generals, it seemed a level of recognition was reached.

The small form spoke with an evil grin. "I will begin with this; anyone who calls me by the name I once had will die immediately, I have renounced that name and all that came with it! You may refer to me as Calico"

A uproar came from the generals table, disbelief evident on many of their faces and forms. They settled down quickly however once the dark form behind the girl flexed its muscles.

"I will start now that we have your attention. Our forces will not be able to attack the remaining digidestined for at least 3 - 5 years due to efforts put forth by the data protectors. There is a literal chasm created by them that no digital being can transverse across through any means other than a physical bridge. We are still looking into how this chasm was made but at this point we are already starting production of the bridges. All humans found are to be captured and brought to the construction area. We will need a great deal of them to do this and will more than likely lose many during it. "

She lifted her head, the evil glee evident to everyone, even the pair who had no knowledge of her; they looked over at the stranger for some sort of explanation. Shock and fear were evident on what they could see of his face, he stared at the girl eyes bugged out. "How can it have changed, it is not her, where is she?" He saw the pair looking at him and instantly changed his face to the same indifferent face he had shown up till then. "Pay attention to what's happening down there, not up here you two!"

They peered back at Calico, the screen had changed showing the chasm and it's seemingly endless depths. "This chasm is a data field, if you jump into it, you are destroyed, if you try and fly or dig through it, see point one. Thus the bridge, it will be made from metals found in the destroyed buildings from human cities binding the bridge to the human physical plane while within the digital one. That is also why we have not completed the amalgamation of the both digital plains with the physical ones. Once that is done the digital field will forever close the door to the other areas."

"Due to the sensitive nature of this information, anyone in this room not of an ultimate form will be executed."

There was a struggle as half the digimon in the room was of a lower rank, they massed together and ran past the 3 watchers in a drive for survival. Very few low level digimon stayed at their posts or did not react.

Before the massed digimon got 3 feet to the door they all just fell down; dead, no wounds evident on their bodies.

"ah hem!"

All eyes went back to Calico.

"To those who stayed at their places and did not allow that news to make them traitors, congratulations! You will soon be altered into new forms never seen before in either world, you will become part of a test that the master has planned to surprise and shatter any resistance the digidestined may have waiting for us when we break through.

Have no doubt we will break through to the other side, we have a spy in their midst, unknown to them and known to only a few on our side." Her eyes were deathly cold, smug in the fact she knew what few did.

However I am to pass on the Masters disappointment that we now need to reply so much on the spy, if one of our bumbling generals had not instantly destroyed the Jaugernaut building and had in fact allowed us to access their files.. We would not need to rely on it so much. NO because of Myotismons stupidity we now have to build multiple bridges so they can't pick us off one at a time. As we go through the barrier."

The one called Myotismon (how they recognized him they did not know) stood and started forward at a run toward the child, the others around him just sat and watched, heads shaking with disgust.

"I will not take orders or be told what I can and can't do by a weakling child, for criticizing me you DIE!" CRIMSON LIGHTNING!

The stranger smiled as if he had seen this all before, the pair huddled back at the sheer power invested in that attack

The whip like attack came within 3 feet of Calico and was absorbed by a shield that began to glow a dull pink. Cilico looked toward Myotismon, lazily put out her hand and with a word no one could make out; blew Myotismon to dust.

In Evidence behind her, Cailcos digimon partner did not even flinch throughout the attack. As the wind blew the dust out of the room, a sinister smile could be seen on both their faces "I will not be challenged and I will not be attacked again!" the latter was said to the crowd, the former aimed directly to the Generals who as she looked at each of them, nodded their heads in acceptance.

"Be forewarned, this will not be an easy task of wiping out the remaining Digidestined, the world they are going to has a very advanced society and already knows that the Digidestined are on the way, we expended our only passage to that digital network before the digital field went up. Before the agent could make it back it was destroyed by the prepared digimon defenders guarding the gate. Fortunately, that is the place that the spy will do it's best to open the hole again, to open a breach into the digital field from the other side so we can go in and conquer it and finally wipe out all opposition."

The remaining crowd cheered, "Killem All, Killem All…"

The remaining generals looked around at each other, the looks of hatred non-existant.

They jumped as the stranger spoke softly as to be heard by no-one but them "This small group left out of the original twelve have learned to work together by this point, that has made them more dangerous than they ever had been in the past"

One of the generals stood "Let the Digidestined beware, we will not work against each other and so while we put all our efforts into destroying them from the outside, the spy will help destroy the from within"

The noise from all was deafening.

Grabbing their shoulders, the stranger led them away toward the door, walking instead of shifting away.

An explosion erupted to their left, a pillar fell blocking their escape.

They were pushed away against a wall and the stranger stood there in the center of the walkway. His hood had fallen back revealing an noble older looking blond headed man. A scar ran from the lower jaw up past the side of his eye.

They could see Calico standing in front of the throne now, cloths rippling as if from the wind. Her hands were glowing brightly with barely contained energy.

"So you are here as I thought you would be, the future is hard coded this time lover. This time there will be no 'next time'. It ends with this time, this place. It ends for you now!" She raised her hand and all the power at her hands fired out, digimon ducked and held them-selves to the ground cringing from the power shooting over/toward them.

The stranger lifted his hand and with a small slap sent it into another pillar, the pillar fell toward the generals table and fell just short, smashing a tree like digimon in half.

The air was full of dust; they could no longer see any of the parties involved in the fight, just energy blasts impacting where the stranger last stood.

Then he was beside them, grabbing their hands they sunk down into and through the rock, below into a room surrounded by other dark dank rooms.

Chained to separate walls in one barred room was a number of humans, bruised and beaten. The pair felt they should know a number of them but could not remember where from.

"Dam it, you should not have seen this" Then head bowed he spoke in a whisper "just in case". Head risen again "We must leave as we cannot help them right now"

Only one of the pair was there, the other already had released two of the captives from their bondage, the captives barely able to see their savior.

The stranger screamed, anger and surprise evident "NOOOOOO! We cannot change time this way!" He grabbed them both their hands and slowly they faded away.

The voice had been heard though; one of the captives strained his eyes trying to see their savior his mouth opened.

t…………………

That was all before they vanished.

Well, that was an adventure for me; the original was about half this size, not as fleshed out with major loopholes left right and center.

What do you think? I could use some suggestions and comments, don't hesitate to email me directly at Majeremajere.ca with what you liked, what you didn't like, where you would like to see it go….ect.

Chapter 3 is already written (in its original form), I will now be re-writing it to make it fit the rest of the series.