There's no excuse. None at all.

Now I'm back to this story, and I'll just have to see if I'm worthy of any attention now.

Disclaimer: Only Komoku, Natakumon, and NeloAngemon so far are mine.

Numb, Without a Soul

Chapter 4: Demonically Humane

The forest had only been allowed a few moments of silence once the clamor of battle had ceased; a silence that was soon broken by a child's scream.

Tomoki had closed his eyes against the sight of the claw that meant certain death, but opened them slowly when he felt no pain. His cry was still reverberating through the forest when he noticed those silver claws only a hair's breadth from his face.

Natakumon had no qualms about killing that boy and thus eliminating this anomaly of this world. Though she had aimed at a pot between his eyes, her claw was so large that it would have surely crushed the entire front of his face, ensuring his death. She was only a second from accomplishing this when a presence she had not felt before stopped her. There was a strong and somehow familiar force coming from the boy.

It can't be…

She withdrew her claw, but added to Tomoki's distress when she crouched down and leaned her face close to his. She closed her colorless eyes and deeply breathed in. It was cold and crisp, like winter air in her nostrils, but there was no denying the scent.

This boy…

Natakumon rose and took a small step backwards, enough to look at Tomoki. He still had his eyes shut and was shivering and whimpering in fear, but she was more focused on the vague figure that stood before him- a phantasm of a bear holding out his arms protectively in front of the boy.

Somehow… this child and the Warrior of Ice are one…

The Demon's head snapped to her right, sensing the approach of other Digimon. She glanced down at Tomoki, whose erratic breathing signaled that he was likely falling into shock. Her fierce, silver orbs narrowed, partially angry because she would not be able to finish what she had started. The other was due to her strength… no, that girl's strength fading. She would have to retreat… for the time being.

Natakumon vanished from her position before Tomoki, rematerializing on a tree limb a short distance away. Secluded by the shadows of the leaves, she watched as a small band of Apemon emerged from the brush. Most of the brightly colored Digimon recoiled from the gruesome sight of the mutilated remains of the quartet of Digimon who had the misfortune of being present when the Demon had awakened. Two wiser Apemon turned their attention to the small, human boy that sat quietly near this. Ignoring the disembodied head of the Musyamon, they started towards Tomoki…

Natakumon's eyes narrowed as she felt her time run out. She was quite frustrated at not knowing when she would be able to appear when it was necessary. It depended on how the girl held up… It would be simple to stay for as long as she wanted, but that would prove foolish in the long run. For now, she would allow the child to rest. She closer her eyes and bowed her head as bands of pale, bluish data surrounded her. When they departed, they left in their wake a teenage girl whose body tumbled from the limb.

Kouji…

What…?

Kouji… awake…

No…

He refused to wake up. Not to a world without his friends, without his brother. Not to a world soaked in the blood of his loved ones. No… he did not want to wake up only to be…alone…

Rise again… Warrior… of Light!

The haunting, melodic voice was quickly fading from his mind when midnight blue snapped open, in submission to the world of awareness. For a moment, he ignored his surroundings, oblivious to where he was. He only knew that he was here- but the others weren't.

Numbly, he raised his hands, finding them full and whole in front of his face. He touched his fingers to his cheeks, and felt warmth.

He was…alive.

How could fate be this cruel?

The light had taken him, just as darkness had taken his brother from before his very eyes, just as the other elements had taken his friends.

So why was it that he was on the plane of the living while the others weren't? Why was he still in the realm of light while the others were in places that burned, encased them in darkness, or ice, or…?

"Ah, I see you're awake."

Kouji's deep eyes darted to the new voice somewhere to his left as he sat up. He was met with the sight of what looked like a small, floating brown pig, but he knew better. It didn't take him long to recognize what this creature was.

"Tapirmon…"

The Digimon nodded, and Kouji wasn't sure if he was relieved or surprised.

"Are you well?" Tapirmon asked him, but when the bewildered teen didn't answer, he sighed. "I'm sure you have many questions you wish answered. When you are ready, please come out. Then, I will explain all I know.

Tapirmon floated out through the partially opened cloth flap that served as a door, and Kouji sat in bed for a few more moments as his mind tried to register just what was going on.

After all his wishing, he really was back in the Digital World.

Could that mean… Did that mean everyone else had been summoned back, too? They were alive and well?

His heart finally stopped pounding from the initial fright of being alone. With the drumming out of his ears, he was left in a shell of silence.

He analyzed his surroundings, not wanting to decide just what he was feeling yet. He was lying in a cot of a simple hut; covered by a thin blanket and clothed save for his jacket, sneakers, and bandanna.

He reached for the bandanna, but paused as he held it in his hands. His thoughts were resolved a moment later when he secured the deep blue scarf with orange slashes on his head. He wasn't going to give up on the others; they would never do that do him if he were missing. Somewhere in this world, Kouichi, Takuya, Junpei, Izumi, and Tomoki were undoubtedly searching for each other and him. He would find them and ensure their safety before even thinking about why they were back here in the first place.

But he would need some information first.

Without hesitation, he moved back the thin cover and placed his feet on the floor. After a few moments he emerged fully dressed from the hut. He narrowed his eyes against the sudden sunlight, but once his vision cleared the sight he was greeted with was certainly not what he needed.

Sure enough, he was in a village of the Digital World, but something was odd. The Digimon here seemed to live close to nature, as Kouji noticed that the other dwellings resembled the one he woke up in. It wasn't this that bothered him, though. Though there was a vast diversity among the Digimon, there was a tense but melancholy air that hung over the otherwise humble looking village. The Digimon went on with their routines, but at the same time they appeared fearful and ready for the worse to happen.

In addition, the glances towards him and the curious whispers didn't escape the notice of the teen. As a human, Kouji could only expect such a reaction. Did they know he was also the legendary Warrior of Light? In any case, the Digimon posed no threat, so Kouji sought out Tapirmon, finding the floating Digimon upon a hill that over-looked the village.

"I assume you have noticed that much has changed," Tapirmon began when Koji approached him.

The lone wolf stood beside Tapirmon, his dark eyes on the village. "Do you know…?"

"That you are indeed the legendary Kouji, Warrior of Light? Yes… the names of you and your fellow warriors and comrades are renowned throughout the Digital World. …That is, they used to be.

Kouji sighed; his heart suddenly feeling heavy with the foreboding tone Tapirmon's voice took on. He sat down on this grass and asked, "How long has it been? What has happened?"

"It has been… hundreds of years since the tyrant Lucemon was defeated by the combined forces of the ten Legendary Warriors."

Kouji closed his eyes, not too overwhelmed by this fact. After finding Kouichi in Shibuya once the spirits of the Digimon warriors sent them back to Earth, he and the rest of the children had discovered that only a few minutes had passed.

"The humans who had become one with the Legendary Warriors were revered throughout the land. However, once the years began to pass in peace, these names became mentioned only in myths, and soon even these myths began to fade in the minds of all.

"But most recently, my fellow Digimon have lost faith in miracles such as those accomplished by you. They took the tranquility of our world for granted, as something they would always have. Then conflict began amongst my kind again, but it wasn't spared by prejudice accusations such as those made by Lucemon. Not quite."

"What do you mean?" Kouji turned his gaze towards the wise Digimon. "What's caused these tensions? Will there be another war?"

"No, but perhaps soon there will be. You see, I don't quite understand myself what is going on. Vast numbers of Digimon have been disappearing, but once they resurface, if they do… Something is strange about them. Different. No specific type is targeted; we are all at risk. It used to go unnoticed, but recently some Digimon seem corrupted. The truly odd thing is-"

Tapirmon was cut off by screams of pain from the village. Both Digimon and human looked down to see a colorful band of Apemon returning from some place. Once Kouji realized that the usually aggressive Digimon weren't attacking, he became more alarmed and jumped to his feet. With Tapirmon, he hurried back to the village.

Upon arrival, a crowd had formed around four of the Apemon. Kouji forced his way through, and was astonished at what he saw. Two Apemon were struggling to hold down one of their own while another attempted to set the restrained Digimon's arm; it had been snapped at the elbow.

Upon further notice, he saw that other Apemon has sustained injuries as well; they were ushered into huts, leaving trails of blood in their wake.

"Who did this!" Kouji demanded, and wished he had choked on his words. He realized that the entire horde of Digimon were regarding him with contempt blazing in their eyes. The answer to the question that had sparked in his eyes was answered by the brief, gurgling scream that erupted a nearby hut.

The scream of a human.

Kouji's heart leapt to his throat as he dashed towards the source of that terrible cry. He dreaded what he would find as he reasoned why the Digimon that had just been wary of him before now held such disdain for him.

The Apemon had been attacked by a human. But which of his friends had done this, and why?

Another small group of Apemon occupied the hit where it seemed they were trying to contain whoever had cried out. As soon as he entered, a powerful arm held him back.

"Let me pass!" Kouji ignored the fact the Apemon that prevented him from advancing was clearly older than the rest. He only wanted to reach whoever it was that sounded like they were in severe pain. If it truly was one of his comrades, he wouldn't think twice about breaking this Digimon's arm to get to them.

"You cannot," came the gruff, gravely voice of the elder Apemon.

He attempted to push Kouji back outside, but the teen would have none of it. Had he the devices, he would have become Wolfmon and cut clean through the powerful ape before him. Unfortunately, he could only hope that these Digimon would respond to him as he wished. His teeth gritted together with barely contained anger, and his hands balled into fists so tight that his fingernails drew blood from his palms.

"LET ME PASS!"

The room stilled, so that only the heavy breathing of whoever was being restrained was heard. Their haggard breaths didn't matter to any matter to any of the other inhabitants save Kouji.

Unbeknownst to him, however, for an instant, as his anger flared, the Apemon saw and heard not the smaller, enraged teenage boy, but the booming voice and imposing, tall stature of the legendary Wolfmon.

Kouji could have cared less as the Apemon finally parted for him. He rushed to the one they had kept from him.

Again, the sight he was greeted with was not had he wished to see.

It was not one of the five people he had expected. Some other person – a boy about his age, he surmised – had been tied down forcefully to a cot. The straps that bound the youth to the strong, wooden posts had drawn blood from the bare arms. Specks of that crimson fluid flecked the cheeks, and even more of it had soaked into small puddles on the mattress. Maroon hair was darkened to that sanguine color by sweat.

What caused a shiver to pass down Kouji's spine were those eyes; they were silver or colorless, blank of light, pupils, or any emotion.

Kouji shook himself out of his stupor, his mind registering what was odd about this situation. This person, while having the lean body of perhaps an athlete, was smaller than himself. What threat could they possibly hold to physically powerful Digimon such as Apemon?

Next, he became aware of how the chest heaved with strained breaths. Kouji carefully sat on the edge of the cot and reached down to undo the restricting buttons of the Chinese-styled shirt. He paused briefly as he did so when his fingers brushed against the soft cleavage that lay underneath.

…A girl?

Not to be daunted, he finished unbuttoning her shirt, glad that she wore a white tank top underneath her main attire. The girl's breathing already was becoming steadier, but a thin trickle of blood crept out the corner of her lips.

Boldly but with caution, Kouji lifted her shirt to check for any signs of internal injury. He found no bruises or anything else to suggest any injuries as his fingers lightly skimmed over her ribs; quite the contrary, her body was quite toned for a girl her age, and was soft but firm under his touch.

After pulling her shirt back down, he retrieved a nearby clean rag and wiped away the tiny stream of blood, then leaned closer to the girl's face.

"Hey…" He gently turned her head so he could look directly into her vacant eyes. Though his voice was quiet, it still held an assertive tone. "Look at me. Can you see me? Can you hear my voice?"

She gave no indication that she was aware of him, but her breathing became less and less ragged until it sounded normal. Then a faint glimmer of light came back into her eyes, as well as her pupils. Color bled back into the orbs until they were turquoise – a turquoise that would have glinted sharply has the dusky veil of unconsciousness not overcome them. Her eyelashes drooped as her head lolled to one side limply in Kouji's hands.

He lay her head back down and shut her eyelids completely as he willed his heart to return to its normal tempo. When the color returned to her eyes and she lost that half-crazed look, Kouji had recognized her features.

After adjusting the straps so that they wouldn't be so tight on her wrists, he stood and turned to the doorway. The older Apemon had stood there, watching and waiting.

"You will want to see the other one, too."

"Tomoki…"

As soon as Kouji laid a hand on the boy's cheek, his olive eyes snapped open, immediately full of fright.

He screamed, "No! Don't!" Kouji's reflexes failed him for once, and he was unable to avoid the sudden punch he received to the jaw when Tomoki began to flail. The older boy at once regained his senses and grabbed both of Tomoki's wrists.

"Calm down, Tommy! It's me, Kouji!"

Tomoki immediately stilled. "Kouji?" His eyes focused, instantly recognizing the eyes of midnight, the stern and proud face, and the ever-present bandanna. "Oh, god, Kouji!" His eyes began to fill with tears as his smaller body began to shake. "Where's Takuya?" Tomoki's eyes began to dart around. "And your brother? And Izumi, and-"

"They're here, but I don't know where… Tommy!" Kouji shouted, forcing the younger boy to look at him. "Calm down," he said slowly, and Tomoki stopped trembling. He seemed to regain his wits, and even began to answer the question he knew Kouji would ask, though tears ran steadily down his cheeks.

"I-it was horrible…" Tomoki swallowed, trying to steady his voice. "This… this dark angel Digimon found me when I came to, but…he… Then she saved me…"

"Who? Was it Izumi?"

"No, no…" Tomoki gasped and began to look frantic. "Komoku-san! What happened to Komoku-san?"

"Hey!" Kouji gave Tomoki's wrists a brief squeeze, and frowned fiercely. "We'll get to that in a minute…" So, it really was her. "But first, finish telling me happened."

Tomoki nodded, regaining his composure. "Komoku-san saved me from that Digimon… he was called NeloAngemon. She fought him, but I think it wore her out. Soon we were attacked by four other Digimon, and Komoku left me to fight them on her own. Then… I don't what happened to her! This mist came out of nowhere, and the next thing I saw was… Kouji, she killed them! All of them!"

Kouji, trying to piece together the erratic boy's story, was puzzled. "Komoku killed them?"

"No, it was Natakumon! I know Digimon can't die, but she did kill them! There was so much blood…!" Finally breaking down, Tomoki buried his head in Kouji's chest and began to sob loudly.

Were the situation not so horrible, Kouji would have teased him for acting like a crybaby at his age. But it was clear that Tomoki was terrified, and he wrapped his arms around the boy as he tried to figure out what the hell happened to him.

Tomoki had awakened in the Digital World in much the same way as himself. This NeloAngemon was apparently an enemy, but the mention of Komoku rang even more bells. With Tomoki sharing her name, he was now positive he was right in guessing who she was when he had recognized her.

But even someone like Komoku shouldn't be able to take on a Digimon such as NeloAngemon as a human. Sure, it was possible to best weak Digimon, as he had done so on several occasions with only a metal or wooden rod, but Angel-type Digimon were far more powerful. Since the one Tomoki mentioned was obviously a Virus, Komoku should not have survived if she had engaged him in combat.

That led to a more disturbing thing the young Warrior of Ice had told him; Digimon being killed. He would have felt remorseful for what he and his friends had done to countless Digimon in their adventure two years ago, but they knew there were purifying the Digimon from the corruption of Cherubimon and Lucemon. Their data was merely being reconfigured, and they would eventually be reborn. But according to Tomoki, apparently this new Digimon, Natakumon, had slaughtered some in a way that Tomoki had never seen before. Why else would he be so horrified now after all they had been through?

Eventually, Tomoki quieted, and pulled away from Kouji.

"Komoku-san's dead too, isn't she?" he asked in a whisper, his voice hoarse from crying. Kouji didn't answer immediately, looking down at the boy silently. Tomoki raised his own eyes to Kouji's, the usually bright and cheery olive now dim and sorrowful. "She was strong, but there was something wrong with her; I think she's sick. And Natakumon's one of the most powerful Digimon I've ever seen. There's no way Komoku-san could have stood up to her, is there?"

"Tommy, Komoku's alive. But," Kouji added at seeing Tomoki's eyes light up, "you can't see her right now. She's resting, and so should you."

"Okay." Kouji removed his hands from Tomoki's shoulders and stood up, but the younger boy prevented him from going anywhere by grasping the hem of his jacket. Kouji looked back to Tomoki's pleading eyes and smiled.

"I'm not leaving you, alright? Just get some sleep, and then we'll figure out what we should do together."

Tomoki returned the smile and released his jacket. Kouji grinned as he indicated the minor bruise on his cheek. "You're doing okay, Tomoki. See? You even got me. You've become stronger, so no worries. Just chill out for a while, okay?"

Tomoki nodded and lay down. "Everything will be alright?"

"Of course; once we find the rest of the gang, well, you know nothing can stop us. We'll get to the bottom of this."

"This morning a small group of Digimon passed through here. However, we soon discovered they weren't normal Digimon, so for the safety of our village we sent them on their way. A while later a group of Apemon went foraging for supplies, but they came upon that band… They had all been slaughtered, and the sword of the Knightmon that was among them was missing. The sword was found later, along with dried patches of blood that suggested another battle.

"The Apemon from there could faintly hear the sounds of another battle, but by the time they got there the Digimon there, too, had all been killed. They found the boy, the one you call Tomoki, nearby in a state of shock, and soon after they found the girl."

"Why weren't they together?"

"It was guessed that Komoku had been hiding, for when they found her she fallen unconscious. But while the two were being carried back, Komoku woke up in a frenzied state and began to assault the Apemon, as you could see from the few who were injured. It took three to restrain her."

"And she was human the whole time?"

"Yes."

Kouji and Tapirmon fell silent, both trying to make sense of this bizarre event. Kouji briefly wondered if Komoku's apparent super strength had anything to do with why her eyes changed colors.

But she can't be harboring a spirit… None of the warriors are that violent. Then again, Tomoki apparently only saw her fight that NeloAngemon, so there's no telling what could have happened when she fought those other four he mentioned. Damn it… Kouji frowned and bit the nail of his thumb. I don't get it… this doesn't explain who or what slaughtered those other Digimon…

Both Kouji and Tapirmon were brought out of their musings when the elder Apemon entered the small hut they occupied. At his grim expression, Kouji was filled with concern and a bit of dread.

"What is it?" he inquired quietly.

"…The rest of the village has come to a conclusion. The human girl called Komoku has been declared a threat, and therefore must be eliminated."

"What?" Kouji shot to his feet, his hand clenched into fists. "You can't do that, I won't let you! Komoku isn't doing this of her own will! Since when do Digimon decide to kill a human so easily?"

"Don't criticize me, boy." Apemon challenged Kouji's glare with his own. "Your kind had no qualms about killing my people in the past, and it's only a matter of time before she kills a normal Digimon."

"That was different!" Kouji threw out his hand, outraged at this turn of events. "We didn't kill because we wanted to! But if we hadn't, then-"

"Elder!" A younger Apemon burst into the hut, out of breath and panicked. "The girl has escaped!"

As she struggled to return from the void of sleep, laughter mocked her efforts, making them all the more desperate.

Especially since the laughter… reminded her of her own…

Komoku woke up in a sweat, her eyes wide and her breaths heavy. A few moments later she calmed herself, though her heart continued to beat loudly for a while. Her eyes narrowed as she swore quietly. She when did she wake up in such a manner? She hadn't been so bothered since…since…

Growling, she would have wiped the sweat off her forehead if was able to move her hands. Silently she looked up at the leather straps that bound her wrists, then down at her unbuttoned shirt and bound ankles.

Oh, great… I've been molested by some bondage freak…

Giving a silent, annoyed sigh, she tried to get a bearing on her surroundings from her limited view. Apparently she was in a hut, and as she looked to the flimsy flap that served as a door, she could the silhouettes of two…giant…monkeys?

What. The. Hell. I've been taken prisoner by giant bondage monkeys? Well, screw that.

Directing her eyes above her, Komoku quietly tried to calm her mind, then tensed her arms as she strained to break her straps, as she couldn't slip her hands through them. Granted she hadn't trained in a long while, the straps should give way in a matter of minutes. Supposing she could still support her own body weight, and considering she had had to train with weights, flimsy leather straps should be no problem.

Besides, if I can apparently wield giant swords in this place, then maybe…

She grit her teeth as the leather bit into her sore and raw wrists, but after only a few seconds, the leather stretched and tore loose. Komoku sat up, rotating her aching shoulders in their sockets before examining her arms. She wasn't too surprised at the sight of her own dried blood, and proceeded to remove the rest of the leather and carefully rub her wrists. She bent towards her feet and removed the bonds from her ankles, afterwards swinging her legs over the bed to set her feet on the ground.

She found her short boots nearby and tied them on gingerly but securely despite her sore ankles, and looked to the doorway for signs of those 'giant bondage monkeys'. They seemed to be distracted with talking to something or someone outside, and Komoku began to think of her captors as maybe more of those Digimon that kid had told her about.

Wait a sec…

Pausing briefly even though she was supposed to be moving quickly, Komoku briefly wondered just how she got here.

Okay, short recap… I woke up in this strange place, went to that stream for drink before that group of I guess Digimon found me… Then I blacked out again, and when I came to I was holding a sword and – what was his name? - Tomoki was there. He told me what had happened, and that… that thing in my head told me they were more Digimon approaching. What then…

I ran, duh. Those things were actually after us… huh. I hid Tomoki under a tree, and… stood up to those monsters. Reeeeeal smart, Komoku. I blacked out again, and ended up here.

…Say, why is that voice being all quiet now?

"Che."

Whatever.

Spotting a small table nearby with her sleeves and a rag on it, Komoku wiped the dried blood off her arms and put back on her accessories. As she did so, however, she noticed that her wrists were nearly healed already.

The hell?

She flexed her hands, then stood up, ready to ditch this hellhole. But she swayed unsteadily and fell against the table before she could gain her footing, causing the table to thump loudly enough against the wall to alert the guards.

Shit!

You fool!

Acting on impulses that were hardly her own, Komoku sprinted across the floor to the doorway in two strides, somehow gaining enough force to spring up and deliver a roundhouse kick to the side of the head of the first giant ape to duck into the hut. It was sent flying to the side, and when Komoku hit the ground she braced her feet and her left palm against a fist to send her right elbow into the gut of the second ape. That one fell to its knees and hunched over, the wind knocked out of it, but Komoku paid it no heed as she stood with her hand balled into fists, her arms quivering and her eyes squeezed shut.

How could you alert them like that?

"Shut up!" Komoku spat.

A shrill scream from behind told her that her little act had not gone unnoticed, and Komoku dashed across the room again, jumping on the cot and crossing her arms in front of her face as she sprung off of it and crashed though the flimsy woody frame of the small window. She rolled as she hit the ground, ignoring the minor cuts and splinters in her arms and starting off at a dead sprint.

Several monsters screamed and effectively got out of her way, but they were all noisy blurs as she ran past them, hell-bent on getting out of wherever she was.

But there was one thing that caught her sharp eyes- a blue shape that had stood out from the rest.

Time seemed to slow as she whirled by him, the boy whose deep midnight eyes locked with her icy turquoise.

Komoku didn't stop. Time returned, and leaving Tomoki – wherever he was – to fend for himself, Komoku tore out of the village, plunging back into the foreign forest from which she had emerged in this world, confused yet full of rage.

"Kouji!"

The Warrior of Light came to his senses, having come to a halt when Komoku had passed him- he had frozen where he was when that determined glare had met his own bewildered gaze.

Those eyes… did they flash silver for a second?

Kouji shook his head and turned to Tomoki, who had ran up to him. "What's going on? Was that Komoku?"

"Yeah." Kouji looked out to where Komoku had disappeared into the distance at a remarkable, unnatural speed.

So this is where it begins…

His eyes had closed briefly, and when Kouji opened them he looked down at Tomoki. The younger warrior no longer held the look of a frightened child; he looked resolved, determined and ready to fight by his side. They nodded silently to each other.

"Young warriors…"

Both boys turned to Tapirmon and the elder Apemon who stood behind them, as well as the others of the startled Digimon village. Kouji stepped up to them.

"Dark times are ahead for all of us… But I know that you will succeed in the end." Tapirmon smiled solemnly. "My thoughts and prayers will be with you."

"But be forewarned," the elder Apemon added, "We will not simply sit by and let this tyranny run rampant in our world. The Digimon will not hesitate to protect ourselves from this threat, no matter who or what they might be."

"You have my word… that we will put an end to all this. Ready, Tommy?"

"Yeah!"

Without a look back, the Warriors of Light and Ice turned and headed out of the village, after Komoku and towards wherever their friends were and their new adventure lied.

Once more, we find ourselves in a world that's not our own, yet at the same time is our second home. Maybe we don't know why we're here, but it's apparent that destiny has called on us again.

Tomoki.

Takuya.

Junpei.

Izumi.

Kouichi.

…Komoku.

We will find out why we're all here, and bring order again to this chaotic world. Let's take our fates in our hands and gain control over it.

Whatever stands before me, I'll cut through with a blade of light!

Even though the rest of the Digimon with him held doubt and even contempt for the newly returned warriors and their quest, Tapirmon alone held hope in his heart for the Digital World. He could it… a bright outcome…

Just as clearly as the hopeful sun's rays revealed the faint visages of the digital warriors who were with the boys that had just departed.

Okay, okay. You can hate me all you want, but if it can finally snow down here, then I figured I could boot up something in Word and finish at least one thing I had started. And as it so happens, it was this story that I had left hanging more than two years ago. I still have too many plans to leave it like this, so hopefully it won't be another two years before I update again. The only excuse, I suppose, is that I'm growing up, and have colleges and such to focus on.

At any rate, the next two chapters will feature both pairs of the still missing cast, and maybe we'll get some much needed info on just who Komoku is.

If you still care about this story, please read and review!