Updated: 4/11/21

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

Chapter 11: Adventures Start!

The Frontier Digital World: Location: The Celestial Digimon's Castle

Shinya woke up feeling groggy. His eyes ached, his chest felt tight, and his throat and lungs were sore. As he sat up he saw his parents nestled on either side of him. Shinya managed to wiggle out of their hold without waking them before making his way to the door. His clothes were rumpled with sleep and he felt a little oily. When was the last time he'd showered? He sighed miserably before leaving the room and headed towards the bathroom he'd seen when they first arrived. He was relieved to find a shower. When he was finished he found that his clothes had been taken away and replaced with a clean set. The shirt was a deep scarlet with a yellow fireball on the front and the shorts were tan… Takuya's colors. Shinya clutched the clothes tightly to his chest for a moment before putting them on.

When he exited the bathroom he didn't feel like returning to his parents' room so he entered the lounge. No one was there and that suited him just fine. It was early in the morning and everyone else was more than likely still asleep. With a sigh he looked up at the screens and watched the other DigiDestined. Most were still asleep, but none of them appeared to be sleeping well. A couple of them – Koji, Zoe and that Tai guy – were awake though and lost in their own thoughts. Koji looked the worst. Shinya recalled how last night Koji had told everyone about his promise to Takuya. About his promise to kill Shinya's brother. Shinya wanted to hate Koji – he really did – but after watching him cry over Takuya's death, to see Zoe forgive the older boy, and to now watch Koji stare miserably into space looking just as bad as Shinya himself felt… How could he hate him? How could he blame him?

Not wanting to think about it anymore Shinya exited the common room to wander the castle and let his feet take him wherever they wanted. He passed many murals and wall paintings of his brother and each one was like another nail in his brother's coffin. Before he knew it he found himself in that forest hall again, but it was dark and near quiet. That didn't matter to Shinya. It was the first appropriate room that fit his mood. He found a nice round boulder to sit on and just allowed himself to go numb and shut down. He didn't want to think and he was sick of crying. All he wanted to do was just stop functioning for now. He was so zoned out that he didn't notice the light off to his left for a full five minutes. When he did he sighed and decided to check it out. He was surprised to see the light coming from a tree. The trunk's bark was translucent and displaying an image that was becoming clearer every second.

It took him a moment, but finally he recognized the soccer field behind Takuya's school. The field was full of people and all of them were holding candles. Shinya stared numbly as he watched the members of his brother's soccer team erect a shrine. After the shrine was finished people began to set down candles and flowers and stuffed animals around it. More people and children from other schools – Shinya's included – entered the field and laid down their own candles and flowers. Then the school's choir gathered and began to sing. Other people joined in too and a minute later the forest was filled with song.

Looking around Shinya noticed that other trees nearby were lighting up with images of their own. Wandering from tree to tree Shinya saw other memorial services being held for his brother. A lot of them were not even in Japan. There was a service being held late at night in New York where people filled the streets of Times Square with candles. Similar services were being held in Paris, Beijing, London and many other countries in major cities around the world. The sight of all these people grieving his brother's loss and offering up prayers to his family made a flash of pride swell through his heart. His brother was what had inspired this. The world had only been watching him for a few days but he had made enough of an impact on them that tonight he was in everyone's hearts and prayers. Takuya had gained the support and earned the respect of the world. If that wasn't a reason to be proud of the great person that his brother had been, he didn't know what was.

The displays warmed him and even brought a teary smile to his lips.

"Can you see this, Taky?" he whispered. "The whole world is mourning your death. You're a hero."

"It's not just your home world either," someone said.

Jumping, Shinya turned and saw Mokuseimon the Warrior Spirit of Wood standing nearby. The Digimon boy gestured to one of the trees he hadn't gotten to yet.

"That's Hypnos Headquarters in the Tamer's world," he said. "They're mourning your brother as well. His death rattled the parents badly since they just sent three other children to their Digital World in hopes of finding a way to break through the Dimensional Corridor lockdown we're in. If they succeed then they may be able to find a way to bring their children back. And over here is the Digital World that Tai's group is from. The parents there are mourning Takuya too. It's not just them either. Your brother is being mourned all across the universe in hundreds, maybe thousands of different earths, different realities, and all of their Digital Worlds. You were right you know. Your brother died a hero. Billions of humans and Digimon will honor him. And not out of pity. Not because he was possessed and everyone feels sorry for what happened to him. They mourn and honor him because in his last moments he found the strength to break that witch's spell. Because he sacrificed himself to save the others… Because with his remaining strength he not only defeated Aiyokumon, he destroyed her as well and rid the universe of one less evil."

Shinya smiled sadly, but he was very proud. His brother was a hero.

"I hope I can live up to his courage," Shinya whispered. "I want to be just as good as he was. I want to become the warrior… the brother that would have made him proud."

"I believe you can," Mokuseimon smiled. "With me as your spirit partner how could you not?"

Shinya laughed and looked back to the glowing forest displaying all of the memorials being held in memory of Takuya.

"You won't be alone either," someone else said.

Shinya wasn't surprised to see Yutaka and Tetsukomon standing nearby.

"Right." Shinya smiled. "Because we'll succeed as long as we act as a team."

Yutaka nodded. "As a team."

"…I think you two are ready to become Legendary Warriors," Tetsukomon stated.

"Really? All ready?" Shinya gaped.

"I thought you said it wasn't time for us yet?" Yutaka said.

"If you both can work past your grief and look forward to tomorrow, then yes," the Warrior of Steel nodded.

"It's time?" Mokuseimon beamed.

"It is time," Tetsukomon nodded, holding out one hand towards Yutaka.

Mokuseimon did the same towards Shinya.

There was a ringing sound emitting from his and Yutaka's pockets so the two of them pulled out their cellphones. The phones were glowing brightly before they changed shape and into the D-Tectors that Takuya and the other Warrior DigiDestined carried. Shinya gaped at his green and brown digivice. Yutaka's was silver and grey.

"Now point your D-Tectors at us," Tetsukomon instructed.

Shinya and Yutaka did as they were told. The devices lit up again and Tetsukomon and Mokuseimon shrank down into idols and were zapped into the devices. Looking at the digivices in awe Yutaka and Shinya could suddenly feel a rush of power. They only had to look at each other once and knew what to do next.

"EXECUTE! SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

They were cocooned in data and when they emerged they were Tetsukomon and Mokuseimon.

"Whoa," Shinya said in awe after a moment. "This is weird. I can feel every tree!"

"I can sense every metallic mineral in the earth," Yutaka muttered.

Shinya twirled his quarterstaff around experimentally, excited that the movements were instinctive and came naturally. Yutaka did the same with his sword.

"…It's weird," Shinya said again.

"Only a little," Yutaka shrugged as he sheathed his blade.

"No, I mean… I can't hear him. Mokuseimon's spirit," Shinya explained.

Yutaka paused and cocked his head to the side as if that would help him hear.

"Neither can I," the older boy admitted.

"Are they gone? By becoming them did we take their place?" Shinya asked.

"I don't think so," Yutaka said, shaking his head. "I'm sure they're still with us. I can't hear Tetsukomon… but I can feel him in every movement I make and every mineral I sense. Just close your eyes and focus. Maybe you can feel Mokuseimon then too."

Shinya did as he was told and focused. At first he thought that it wasn't working, but then he felt a warm feeling spread from within his chest. An energy he'd never felt before filled his body and a whisper of a laugh echoed in his mind. He smiled. The Wood Warrior Spirit was still very much alive within him.

"So you've arrived at last, Warriors of Wood and Steel. And at a time you'll be needed most too."

Yutaka and Shinya looked up and saw Ophanimon standing before them smiling gently.

"As newly appointed Warriors, I wish to ask you two to do me a favor," Ophanimon stated. "I'm sure you two are more aware of the situation than your parents, but right now our world is incapable of communicating with ANY outside world. I hope you two don't mind making a journey to Flame Terminal. It is the only physical linking connection we have to the human world. It hasn't been fully functional since it was destroyed during Lucemon's attempt to reach your world. As the Warrior's of Wood and Steel you'll be able to help speed the reconstruction process along and maybe succeed in reaching the human world through its connection. And perhaps along the way you two will find your Beast Spirit partners, and maybe ultimately find host candidates for the remaining two Warrior Spirits. It's quite a ways from here, but I have faith that you two will succeed. Will you go?"

"If it will help, then yes," Yutaka said.

Shinya nodded. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as you are ready," Ophanimon said, smiling. "Be sure to take time to say goodbye to your parents before you depart. Nefertimon will help guide you down to Forest Terminal where your guides will be ready to help escort you to Flame Terminal."

Tamer Digital World: Location: Level 1

Minami groaned as she rose to her feet. The trip to the Digital World had been horrible. The moment she had passed through the gate it had felt as if she'd dropped into a free fall. She'd clung to Kai and Alice's hands as tightly as she could, but they were quickly ripped away from her grasp. She could recall screaming, as the fall seemed to toss her around like a rag doll down that dark hole. Then she entered the Digital World and she'd never been more frightened or more in awe of the sight before her. There was a grey stormy sky with patches of jagged pixelated sections that cut gaping holes in the sky. There was an orb high above that she assumed was the Digital World's data core. It was roiling red and black hanging up there like some poisoned sun.

She didn't remember landing, but if her body's protests were anything to go by it had been rough and she was lucky to have survived. She was lucky to have landed in this sand dune.

"Minami!"

"Kai?!" Minami gasped and she looked around until she spotted Kai and Alice making their way over to her from a nearby dune. "Alice!"

"Are you alright?!" the American Goth girl asked.

"Fine!" Minami smiled, relieved that they had all arrived in the Digital World successfully and relatively unharmed.

"You girls check out the sky?" Kai gaped. "Totally gnarly. If we were back home on earth I'd assume that we were in for one hell of a storm."

"This world's processing core is responsible," Alice said, looking up at the orb high in the sky. "I was told that the core is supposed to be green and blue with pink beams of light that shoot out of it. It's these beams that are supposed to transport Digimon to the various levels of the Digital World."

"So we've got to fix the sun?" Kai frowned.

"According to Takato's report about his time in the Digital World there is no night and day. It could be day one moment then night the next. Right now I think that the Digital World is suspended in an eternal twilight though."

"Twilight?" Kai blinked.

"I think she means that the world is stuck in one point in astrological time," Minami explained, but seeing Kai's blank look she added, "It's always sunset."

"Ah," Kai huffed, nodding. "Could have just said that."

Alice rolled her eyes making Minami giggle.

"Come on," the blonde sighed. "Let's get out of this desert. Even if it's twilight right now, it could get freezing or blazingly hot soon. Nothing can be certain in the Digital World when it's functioning properly so its conditions could be even more volatile in its current state. Let's head towards those rocks."

Kai and Minami nodded and followed her lead. Minami looked around as they walked and watched as sand leveled out becoming dry cracked ground and dunes became mounds of rock. Alice led them to a particular outcropping and they all collapsed to rest for a bit. Alice also handed out a packet of crackers for each of them before pulling out Yamaki's communications device.

"Better report to let everyone know we made it," Alice sighed.

Minami nodded while Kai just stuffed a cracker into his mouth with a shrug.

"Fo whaff da gam plam?" Kai asked with a mouthful of cracker.

Alice frowned at him.

"Sorry," Kai grinned sheepishly. "What's the game plan, Alice? Where do we start?"

Minami looked over at Alice too to hear her answer.

"First we need to find the lock on this level," Alice stated. "According to Yamaki and Mister Wong each level is locked down and we'll have to release that lock to gain access to the next level of the Digital World."

"And how many levels are there?" Kai asked.

"Hundreds," Alice said, shrugging.

Kai and Minami stared at her in alarm.

"But that's counting the loads of branched off subdivision levels," Alice said, frowning. "There are ten main levels including our current level and they're all sealed off from each other."

"Ok…" Kai mused. "So how do we find these seals or locks or whatever?"

"Don't know," Alice said, shrugging.

Kai nearly choked on his crackers.

"Ya don't know?" he gasped.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out as we go," Minami said gently.

"Yeah, by searching all over for something we don't even know what it is we're searching for," Kai grumbled.

"I'm sure it'll be easier than what you think," Minami stated. "It's bound to be something out of the ordinary for the Digital World. Something that wasn't here before this whole mess started. Maybe it'll be a strange occurrence or a change in a structure. I'm sure that if we ask the native Digimon on this level we'll get some leads."

"Minami's right," Alice said, smiling. "I'm sure that we'll be able to find the release for the lockdown."

"I suppose," Kai sighed. "But I don't know about talking to the natives. I haven't seen one since we arrived."

Minami and Alice shared a concerned frown. Neither had they.

"Maybe they're hiding?" Minami wondered.

"Then let's go look for them." Alice smirked, rising to her feet.

Kai grinned and quickly bounced up to his before holding out a hand for Minami. Minami smiled at him tentatively before taking his hand. He pulled her up and together they took off after Alice. The trio then spent the next few hours exploring the rock outcroppings looking for anything that might be out of the ordinary. Kai was starting to get frustrated after four hours and was making Alice irritable, so Minami decided that they should call it a night. Alice looked like she wanted to argue, but Minami remained firm stating that they were all tired and that the Digital World wasn't going to be going anywhere.

Reluctantly Alice agreed and they made camp up on a ledge that was high enough to keep them away from any prowlers down below but low enough for them to have enough time to scramble down in case they needed to. Minami took first watch that night. Four hours later an alarm went off and Alice relieved her. Kai took his shift four hours later. When his four hours were complete he woke Alice and Minami and after a small breakfast they began their search anew. Kai even apologized to Alice about his behavior the other day.

Determined, the trio began to move out of the rocky terrain and into a canyon. They traveled for six hours before stopping for lunch. They hadn't seen one Digimon so far even though there were signs of them everywhere.

"Ya know, this isn't how I had expected to spend our first day in the Digital World," Kai sighed. "I expected to see loads of Digimon everywhere."

"Well this is the lowest level," Minami pointed out. "It's more likely that most of the Digimon live on the higher levels."

Kai groaned.

"It would make things easier if one would appear," Alice sighed.

"Then why don't you just ask?"

The trio jumped in alarm and looked around with wide eyes for the source of the voice. A minute later it was as if a pile of rocks came to life.

"That's a Gatsumon!" Kai gasped.

The Gatsumon eyed them curiously.

"Haven't seen one of you before," it said. "What kind of Digimon are you?"

"That's cause we're not Digimon," Alice stated.

"We're humans," Minami added.

"Humans?!" the Gatsumon cried. "Like those creatures from that other world?"

"We are from that other world." Kai grinned.

"Oh wow! Real live humans!" the Gatsumon cried. "Whatcha doin' here? Normally it's us Digimon trying to get to your world, not the other way around. Of course nobody's been able to get through for a long time now. The Sovereign won't allow it."

"We're here to help," Alice said, crouching down to be level with the shorter creature. "Something's happening across at least three different dimensions and we need to reverse the lockdown that's been enforced on your world."

"Ah. You mean you're here to help free us from the Great Shut Down," the Gatsumon sighed. "At least that's what we've started calling it. No one's been able to come or go on any level of this place for almost a week now, and this twilight has been driving us all crazy. Not that anyone's trying too hard. What's going on in that other world with those DigiDestined humans and their partner Digimon is enough to send everyone cowering into their shelters. Especially after that Takuya kid died last night."

"What?!" gasped Minami, Kai and Alice. "Someone died?"

"Yeah. It wasn't pretty either," the Gatsumon said mournfully. "Everyone on this level is arranging to hold a memorial in ten hours time when the other children plan to cremate his body."

"Cremate?" Kai repeated.

"Burn," Minami whispered.

"I knew that," Kai huffed. "I was just wondering why they'd cremate him."

"Wait," Alice cut in. "You said that everyone on this level is going to hold a memorial service for Takuya?"

"Of course!" the Gatsumon cried. "The kid died a hero! Even though he was in rough shape and already on death's doorstep he managed to take another blow to save his friend! And on top of that he killed that witch Aiyokumon! Burned her till she melted in her own lava! The boy deserves nothing but respect!"

"Of course," Alice easily agreed. "Could we come?"

"Sure." Gatsumon shrugged. "Everyone else is. Come on! You can help me with the preparations. It's going to be held on Raiser's Plateau at the end of the canyon."

"What are you thinking, Alice?" Minami whispered as they followed the rock Digimon who was now talking animatedly to Kai about Takuya's fight with the witch Zaigou.

"I'm thinking that we just might have found out where we can get our leads for this level's lock," Alice said, smiling grimly.

The Adventure Digital World: Location: Infinity Mountain

Hiroaki wasn't sure how he felt. He'd just learned that one of the DigiDestined boys from the world with spirit partners had died the previous night. Tonight, he got word that the other twenty-nine were cremating his body. It made him work with even more determination than before. So far everything that he and Gennai had tried wasn't working. They hadn't been able to reach anything outside of the Digital World. Boosting the signal in various ways wasn't working and changing frequencies wasn't either.

Hiroaki let out a frustrated growl as he ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly. What could he do? He felt so helpless. It was even worse than that time he'd tried to contact anyone outside of Myotismon's fog bank four years ago. At least he had gotten static feedback back then. Right now he wasn't even getting that! Hiroaki racked his brain desperately trying to figure out what he should try next. He clutched at his digivice so tightly that the plastic protested with a squeak. Wait… the digivice!

He searched around frantically for an adapter cord and quickly found one. Thank God Gennai was so organized. He searched for the spot on his digivice and slammed the cable home. After hooking up the other end to a monitor, Hiroaki began to feed the broadcasting signal through the digivice. The mini-screen glowed and squealed to life as it began to vibrate. Finally! Static! Contact was possible!

"Gennai! Try alternating the frequencies again!" Hiroaki ordered.

Gennai got to work immediately, seeing that they were finally getting some results.

"Can anyone hear me?" Hiroaki cried into his comm. device.

"…o is…is?" a voice came in.

Gennai immediately compensated on his adjustments to hone in on the right frequency while Hiroaki tried to boost the signal further.

"Can anyone read me?! This is Hiroaki Ishida," Hiroaki stated.

"Hiro?!" a voice cried out loud and clear.

"Hiroaki Ishida?" gasped two others – one male, one female – in unison.

"Ishida?" a fourth voice called back.

"Hey guys," Hiroaki smiled, knowing full well who they were. Only four others on earth could possibly be receiving this signal through his old digivice model. "Long time no see."

"See? I can only hear you man," laughed the first voice.

"Hiro! How are you fairing? Are those really your boys stuck in that other world?" the second male voice asked.

"Yes, Saito, it's true," Hiroaki sighed.

"My God!" gasped the third man's voice.

"Hiro, where are you? We've been trying to get in touch with you for days!" the woman wailed.

"You're not going to believe me," Hiroaki said with a smile. "I'm in the Digital World."

"WHAT?!" cried all four.

"Yeah," Hiroaki laughed. "Crazy huh? I'm trying to find a way to get my boys back."

"How's that going?" the fourth voice asked.

"Not good, Keisuke," Hiroaki sighed. "So far I've only succeeded in reaching you all through the digivices. I'm glad you all kept yours. I wasn't sure if you'd have them on you."

"Of course we do!" the lone woman of the group huffed. "It's a reminder of our adventures together! And please, Hiro. The entire world starts broadcasting those children on that other world, of course we're going to find and pick up our own digivices and keep them on us just in case."

"Easy, Yumi, dear," Saito chuckled.

"So what's the plan?" Keisuke asked.

"Right now it's trying to get in touch with any world outside our own," Hiroaki sighed. "It's not going well. This is more your department, Kei. You're the engineer."

"So what's it like being back in the Digital World?" the last member of the group – Haru Yoshi – asked.

"…Strange," Hiroaki laughed. "It's so different from what it was like back when we were young."

"Oi! I'm still young!" Yumi retorted.

The men laughed.

"Not to interrupt your conversation, Mr. Ishida," Gennai cut in, "but now that we've established contact maybe we could take it a step further?"

"What do you mean?" Hiroaki asked, ignoring the questions of "who was that?" coming from his old friends.

"I mean, that we bring your friends here to this world," Gennai stated. "We need more help and you and your friends are DigiDestined. With more of you we can see what we can do about reaching another world. If this is possible with just one digivice, imagine what we could do with five!"

"Is he saying what I think he's saying?" Yumi asked.

"Is he suggesting that we return to the Digital World?" Haru gasped.

"Awesome!" Saito hooted.

"Dear!" Yumi scolded. "What about the children?"

"We send them to your mother's of course," Saito snorted.

"I suppose Ami and Saki could spend more time with my sister," Haru mused.

"I'm still single and childfree so I'm set," Keisuke chuckled, but there was a clatter in the background meaning the man had probably started grabbing and taking care of a few things.

"And what if we can't get back?" Yumi fretted.

There was a long pause on the other end now.

"The Digital World needs our help guys," Saito said slowly. "I know that leaving our lives – our families – behind is going to hurt. Especially since we're doing it voluntarily this time, but from what I understand there are thirty… twenty-nine children forced to confront another world's problems. Problems that are stemming from such a great evil that every world out there in existence may be in danger should they fail."

"I think you're being a little dramatic, Sai," Haru muttered.

"No, think about it!" Saito insisted. "That Digital World not only summoned a team of DigiDestined from our world, but from two other worlds as well! What other reason could there be other than that some major evil badass is about to endanger life as we know it? Dimensions – realities! – colliding and teams from those different worlds being forced to work together… if that doesn't scream universal crisis, I don't know what does."

"…Damn, Sai. Twenty-four years and you still can give quite the speech," Keisuke sighed.

"Alright, I'm sold," Haru stated.

"Yumi?" Saito asked.

"…If we don't come back alive to Aoko and Kaito I'm going to kick your ass from one afterlife to the next," Yumi growled.

"All right, so what do we have to do, Hiro?" Saito asked.

Hiroaki looked at Gennai.

"It's going to be difficult, but I'm going to boost Hiroaki's digivice signal to maximum and I'm going to try to open a portal that'll drop you four right here on Infinity Mountain. What I need you four to do is gather at the summer campsite just outside of Tokyo. It's the one place in Japan that has the strongest link to our world. After you arrive and when Mr. Ishida gives you the signal I need you all to hold your digivices up to the sky as close together as possible. The more concentrated the signals are when they connect, the better."

"Got it," Saito confirmed.

"It'll take me a few hours to get there," Keisuke sighed.

"Couple hours for me as well," Haru stated.

"Be there within the next twenty-four hours," Gennai instructed. "By then I should have a stable enough connection."

"Roger that," Saito said. "We'll be ready. See you soon, guys."

"Later," Haru agreed.

After that there was only the sound of everyone making preparations. Hiroaki hoped that this would work. As much as he missed his friends and was looking forward to seeing the old team get back together again, he was anxious. The last thing he wanted was for them to be stuck in this world away from their families. But this was their choice. They had twenty-four hours to say goodbye to loved ones, make arrangements to cover their absence, and they even had the option to back out if they changed their minds. It was more than what he and the other parents had before coming. But really, deep down, he knew that they'd come. Even if this was "voluntary" involvement… it was still involuntary, because what other choice did they have? When the Digital World calls out to you for help – no matter in what form or circumstance – what else is there to do but to answer that call?

How will Yutaka and Shinya fair? Will Kai, Alice, and Minami be able to find that lock? And will Hiroaki and Gennai succeed in bringing the other four original DigiDestined back to the Digital World? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!

So what did you think? The chapter came along pretty well I think. I hope I didn't rush making Yutaka and Shinya Legendary Warriors, but I felt that they needed to be pushed along a bit since things were moving in the other two worlds. Also how did you guys like the mentions of Takuya's memorials? I just wanted to show just exactly how big on an impact Takuya's death had outside of that world. Think about it. It was televised world wild across the universe! Of course there are going to be organized memorials on a global scale.

I hope you all liked hearing from Hiroaki's old team. They're going to become a huge part of UGotD later on. Hope nothings been confusing. If so please let me know and I'll answer any question you have and try to clear it up in another revision of this chapter. Hope you liked this chapter! :)