A call was all the needed for all twelve chosen children to reunite in Taichi's small apartment. Sora instantly wrapped her arms around Taichi, asking for as much detail as he could give her.

Miyako wrapped her hand around Ken's, her eyes worried, her lips trembling.

She knew what darkness meant to the other teen and she felt the need to protect him.

They took turns approaching the tag. Fingers trembling, hands hesitant.

Hikari has been the first, as her virtue was one of Light. It had made sense to them that she could be the one least affected by the Darkness emanating from the tag.

It quickly became apparent they had been wrong when the tag shone violently and Hikari pulled back her hand with a frightened yelp.

Her fingers had been red, the skin had been burned.

Darkness and Light were not to meet then.

Koushiro had nodded. His eyes sad.

"I don't dare…" he said. " I can feel it from here. It… whispers."

Sora and Takeru nodded as well. Their skin pale, their body language told the others they would not be able to stand such close proximity.

Jyou sighed.

"Love can be easily corrupted. So can Hope."

"So can courage," Taichi growled.

Koushiro sighed.

"By that logic all virtues can be corrupted if exposed for enough time."

Taichi nodded.

Mimi wrapped her hands around it, closing her eyes.

The rest of the group held their breath.

"It is… cold, sad," she told them, a tear running down her cheek. "It knows I'm not its bearer. And it knows it might never find its bearer or the digimon it is to weild."

Koushiro looked at her, eyes solemn.

"Sincerity," he said. "Sincerity can stand it."

Mimi swallowed.

"It can, I think," she confirmed. "But not wield it. I can… hear what it is saying. I know what it wants and its voice, amongst the chaos that it is… it is seductive."

Ken swallowed hard, loud in the silence that enveloped the room.

"What does it want?" He asked, his voice a mere whisper.

Mimi looked at him.

"It wants to go home," she told him. "It wants me to take it home and to give it to the one it chose over all. And…"

"And?" Sora asked, worried.

"It wants its immortality."

"Its immortality?" Jyou asked, confused. "I thought tags were… immortal."

"I don't know," Mimi sighed, releasing the tag. "That's what it's saying. It calls it that."

Yamato approached it then, his hand outreaching.

"Yama?" Taichi asked, tense.

Yamato wrapped his fingers around the tag, frowning.

"Mimi can't do it alone," he said. "At least one of us should take turns with her."

Koushiro nodded.

"Can you hear it?" he asked.

Yamato shook his head.

"It's like a whisper, but it's…warped, confusing." his brow furrowed.

A smaller hand landed on his shoulder.

Yamato instantly relaxed.

"Daisuke?" Taichi asked.

The redhead looked at his mentor, his smile small.

"Yamato-san and I have the same virtue," he explained. "I thought it night help if I…"

"It would make sense," Koushiro nodded. "If the tag is not reaching to one virtue but two."

"Then let me try too," Taichi said, reaching with his hand.

"Don't, you idiot," Yamato growled. "Courage is something it wants. You could… fuel it."

Jyou frowned.

"How can you tell?"

"It… wants that, I think." He replied, his frown deepening.

"No." Mimi interrupted. "That's not it."

Yamato scowled.

" I can feel it reaching."

Mimi placed a hand on top of his.

"It wants you around Taichi. It knows you are the half of his heart. That's why it reaches. It wants your powers, combined."

Taichi's hand recoiled violently.

"It's sentient then." Koushiro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "And can feel our virtues."

"It's best if you don't touch it directly, Daisuke-kun," Jyou adviced, grim. "But you helping Yamato out could be better. All things considered."

Daisuke nodded, his mouth curling.

"And I'll be there to protect them both on the way, right?" he added. "If this thing is as seductive as you guys say then it's likely we are not going to be left alone on our way."

All chosen then turned to him, various degrees of shock reflecting on their faces.

"Dai-chan," Takeru asked. "You… don't hear it?"

Daisuke blinked at him.

"Hear it?"

"It's loud as hell, idiot!" Miyako roared, slapping the back of his head. "You can't not hear it!"

Daisuke rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable.

"I don't?"

"Maybe it is because of Daisuke's virtues?" Lori missed out loud. "To me it's not loud… it's more like a hum."

"It would make sense," Mimi nodded. "I couldn't hear a thing until I touched it."

Jyou and Koushiro looked at each other.

"Taichi?" Koushiro asked.

"I hear a whisper, like a million voices talking all at once."

"It's a lull to me," Yamato added, frowning.

"So basically some virtues are more vulnerable than others," Hikari sighed.

"That should make this a little easier," Koushiro nodded. "Also, Daisuke-kun was the only one of you guys not to succumb to Myotismon's powers the last time you fought."

"And this is his creation."

"So, it's decided then?" Daisuke asked. "I'll go with Yamato-san and Mimi-san to protect them."

Taichi fumed, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"All things considered you seem like the ideal candidate, yes," Koushiro nodded at him.

"I'm going too." Ken said suddenly, and all eyes immediately fell to him.

Takeru hesitated.

"I don't want to be mean but you are literally the worst candidate for this," he said finally, eyes kind. "I mean, it got to you once."

"And I defeated it," Ken replied instantly, firmly. "I think I can do it again."

"Ken, it's madness," Miyako tried to reason with him. "If you get close enough it will grab onto you again."

"It could, Ken-kun," Mimi confirmed. "It is longing for a wielder."

Ken squared his shoulders, his mouth curling stubbornly.

"Daisuke can't… he can't go alone. He'll be vulnerable."

"Ken-chan…" Daisuke whispered, shocked.

"I… I know what it feels like, if… if it becomes too much I'll leave but…" Ken said, eyes pleading with his best friend. "But that much danger… I just can't let you go alone. If something were to happen to you."

"And what are we, leftovers?" Yamato said with a roll of his eyes, hands firmly on his pockets. "There will be three of us, we can protect each other."

"You two will have to carry the tag," Ken reasoned. "Dai-chan will need help. Plus if worse comes to worse he'll need my power to protect you both."

"By that logic I should go too to support Mimi-san," Miyako scowled, arms crossing over her chest.

Ken looked at her, confused.

"But you just said the tag is really loud to you," he said. "You would be vulnerable. And don't have Daisuke's… immunity."

Miyako's cheeks colored.

"So, just because he's too stupid to know darkness you have to go with him and put yourself in harm's way?" She hissed.

Ken frowned.

"Don't call him stupid," he said, his voice soft, cold.

"Oh my god! It's always the same with you!" She yelled.

The group blinked, almost in unison when the couple started arguing.

Again.

"Ken does have a point," Iori siched, massaging his temples. "The tag reaches for Taichi-san when Yamato-san touches it. So, as long as Daisuke-kun and Ken-kun don't touch it they shouldn't have a problem. And the eight of us can set a perimeter around them, just in case."

Koushiro looked at him.

"A perimeter."

Iori nodded.

"We can go in pairs, one pair before them, one pair after them, one to their left and one to their right," he explained. "If we keep in contact at all times we would be able to stop any threats before the approached Yamato-san and Mimi-san. And Daisuke-kun and Ken-kun can deal with ones just in case we can't stop them in time."

Koushiro thought about it in silence for a moment.

"I makes a lot of sense."

Jyou sighed, nodding as well.

"Sounds like we have a plan of action."

"Ummm…" Daisuke said, hand still on the back of his neck. "Then I'll go and tell my family. We might be gone for a long time and they'll worry again."

Taichi nodded, patting his shoulder.

"You do that, maybe we should all do that as well."

Daisuke nodded and left the room, phone in hand.

Sora wrapped a hand around Taichi's, her eyes conveying her worry. Taichi smiled at her.

"We can do this," he reassured. "Don't worry."

Sora nodded, returning his smile with a small one of her own.

Their hands tightened around each others.

"So, yeah" Daisuke sighed into the phone. "I think I'll be gone for a while. Can you cover for me with Mom and Dad?"

"Sure thing, I'll tell them you had training camp or something…." Jun sighed. "But… Dai-chan…"

"Hmm?" Daisuke asked, immediately noting the worry that marked his sister's voice.

"Is this whole thing… about him?"

Daisuke's blood ran cold.

"H- him… who?" he asked. "Neechan, what are you implying? It's not like I have a boyfriend or anythi-"

"Mom and dad don't remember, Dai-chan… but I do." she interrupted, her voice shaking. "I remember the tower and I remember… him, standing over you, watching you."

"… Jun…"

"I remember him leaning over you that night," she continued. "And how you… got better after that. And how you… changed, when you returned adventure. You are paler, you are colder…"

Daisuke heard his sister's breath catch in her throat.

"... Is he… back?"

Daisuke's shoulders relaxed.

"No… he's not. I don't think I'll ever see him again."

"Thank god…" Jun sighed, relief so painfully evident in her voice it hurt.

"But… this has to do with him… and… and I have to see this through," he continued, wincing when he heard her breath hitch. "I owe him that at least."

Jun was silent for an eternity after that, Daisuke felt something cold like regret settling on his stomach.

"I can't stop you, I know… so…" she stopped and her brother knew she was choking back a sob. "Just… come home no matter what. Promise me that."

Daisuke nodded, his eyes closed.

"I swear."

"Good," Jun said. "Go then, save the world or whatever. I'll wait here, well drink."

Daisuke snorted.

"I'm still a minor…"

"You are a hero "

Finally Daisuke laughed.

"Good point," he conceded. "See you 'neechan… I love you."

He hung up before he could hear her pained sobs.