Footsteps echoed through the control center as Osamu walked into the dark room. He snapped his fingers and, in an instant, all the lights turned on to reveal his massive computer setup and the numerous surveillance monitors once more. Dracomon was hot on his partner's heels, as always, while FlaWizarmon and Witchmon brought up the rear of the procession.

"Guess that program of yours is gonna save the day in more ways than we expected, Kaiser-kun," FlaWizarmon said as he gave an idle twirl of his matchstick. "Even better, you won't hafta reverse engineer anythin' to get his code like you had to for Qinglongmon and Xuanwumon. He's sittin' pretty right in the open, without a clue."

Osamu wasted no time in typing on the computers once he took his seat before the monitors. "At least something good will come of him taking the temple," he muttered under his breath.

"You said it, dearie," Witchmon agreed with a grimace.

FlaWizarmon gave a wry chuckle. "Yeah, thank goodness for… small… fa… vors…" He slowly trailed off as his eyes widened, staring at the screen in front of Osamu, before his jaw dropped as far as his stitches would allow.

Osamu paused at that and sharply looked over to see the stunned expressions on both Witchmon's and FlaWizarmon's faces. He frowned before he turned to look up at the screen to see what they were looking at.

The young tyrant was instantly greeted by the sight of the Temple of Miracles, floating in a golden bubble high above the peak that used to be its home.

Dracomon gave a small blink. "That… is new."

Osamu stared at the sight for a long moment before sliding his hand under his glasses to rub his eyes. He felt a migraine coming on.

"Thank you for letting me know," Jin said as he stood off to the side of the room, his phone against his ear. "Any idea what caused it?" He listened for a moment before he sighed. "Got it. I'll be there as soon as I'm able. In the meantime, keep me updated."

Jin hung up his phone before placing it in the inside pocket of his suit jacket, then returned his attention to the other occupants of the room. The Chosen Children were huddled around the sofa where Ryo sat. Sitting directly beside him was Keiko with Tsuyosa placed comfortably in her lap. Or at least, as much of Keiko that could manifest in the real world at the moment.

Ryo leaned against Keiko's shoulder as he kept his eyes closed, struggling to control his breathing. Keiko in turn slowly stroked the Chosen of Miracles' hair as she sang softly, her voice barely more than a gentle whisper. He clung to her like a lifeline, his body faintly trembling.

When Keiko first arrived, Ryo attempted to talk to her, to explain everything, but nothing came out save for a nonsensical ramble. His babbling only ceased when she seized him in a tight hug with one arm, holding onto Tsuyosa's hand with her other.

"I know," was all Keiko said before taking a seat beside him.

Since then, the Chosen of Darkness just sang as she held Ryo. He didn't recognize any of the songs she sang, and the lyrics never seemed to register in his mind, but he found them strangely soothing. Her reassurance wasn't enough to rid him of the chaos waging war in his mind, but it was the smallest of shelter from the storm that tore him up inside.

Despite being used as an impromptu medium for his aunt, Tsuyosa looked perfectly content to be a third wheel in the exchange. He leaned back against Keiko's chest with his eyes peacefully closed as he listened to her sing. His aunt had a very pretty singing voice, he thought. He would have told her so, but he didn't want to interrupt a single song.

The sight of Keiko present before him and not dead in a different world was something that Jin still struggled to accept as reality. A part of him didn't think he could ever really grow accustomed to the otherworldly situation, but he was forever thankful for whatever powers that be that allowed him to talk to his sister again. With any luck, if the children's determination wasn't misplaced, he wouldn't have to become accustomed to seeing his baby sister as a spirit.

However, that was a thought Jin set aside for another time. There were more pressing matters at the moment, more children whose lives were hanging by a thread.

The rest of the Chosen Children were left to their own quiet conversations, debating what their options were. No one dared to drown out the small concert Keiko was performing for Ryo, and all eyes kept going back to the Chosen of Miracles, concern apparent for all to see. No one knew what to say to him about the situation. The revelation about Zeed had such world shattering implications that it felt overwhelming for all of them. All they could do for now was put their faith in Keiko's attempts to comfort Ryo.

A bright flash of gold forming in the room signaled an end to the hushed conversation, as it heralded the rest of the Darkness Chosen Children returning from the Crystal Tower. Yamato, Sora, and Miyako appeared in short order, along with their partners, and stood in the center of the room once the Digital Gate had dissipated.

Yamato let out a heavy sigh before he looked up to survey the scene in front of him. He grimaced at the sight of Ryo in such clear distress. While Takeru had sent them a message telling them where they had gone and why, it was still a very painful sight to see. He sympathized with the other boy; he could only imagine the pain and chaos Ryo was feeling, especially if it was enough to trigger a near-visit to the Dark Ocean. Such a state of mind was horrific, soul crushing. Even then, what gave him a brush with the Dark Ocean in the past felt as though it paled in comparison to what Ryo was suffering through right now.

It really seemed like the universe liked punching Ryo in the throat at every opportunity.

Sora's expression was similarly pained as she went over as close as she dared to where Ryo and Keiko sat. She stopped just short and watched helplessly, her hands clasped over her chest as she struggled for words, or even the courage to speak them and risk interrupting Keiko's song. In the end, she decided it could wait. They were on Ryo's time - he deserved at least that much space.

Miyako sighed and reached up to touch her forehead before she noticed the quizzical glance from Takeru as the Chosen of Hope glanced over their group with a furrow of his brow. "Oh, Osamu went back to his fortress. He wanted to update his filter as soon as possible."

Jin immediately froze at that. "Osamu?"

"Oh, right, forgot about that," Miyako muttered, wincing a bit. With how close the Ryuzakis were to Ken, they would at least be aware of who Osamu was. She cleared her throat before speaking up. "Yeah, that Osamu."

Jin straightened up before he turned to face the Chosen of Passion, his eyes wide. "You mean… Osamu Ichijouji. That Osamu. Ken's brother, Osamu."

"Yup," Miyako said, with a sickly crook to the corner of her mouth. "Surprise, he's a Chosen Child too, and he's been apparently living in the Digital World all this time. Crazy, right?"

There was a heavy moment of silence before Jin responded, enunciating each word slowly. "He's. Alive."

Miyako nodded as the smile melted away under a more grave expression. "And you can just imagine what Ken's reaction is going to be when he finds out, I bet."

Jin was silent for several long moments before a strange expression appeared on his face. "So… you mean to tell me… that son of a bitch was telling the truth and wasn't just talking nonsense to hurt Ken?!"

"What?" Yamato said as he turned to Jin, confusion clear on his face. "What're you talking about?"

Jin hesitated before he let out a low curse as he rubbed the back of his neck. He then gave a small shake of his head before crossing his arms. "Well, I guess there's no point in dancing around it… given they've already shown their faces again." He tilted his head to the side. "Remember how we mentioned that we've been keeping the government off your backs? We've actually got a lot of history with them. They've been sniffing around Keiko, and Ken, for a very long time. One of the agents, by the name of Oikawa, was particularly… ruthless. After Osamu's death, he'd constantly show up wherever Ken was… soccer game, interviews, even when Ken was rehearsing for his gigs. And he seemed particularly… obsessed about Osamu and the accident."

"Obsessed?" Takeru asked. "Obsessed how?"

"He kept asking Ken what 'really' happened," Jin said, with a scowl. His lips curled up in a snarl as he dredged up unpleasant memoriest. "At first, no one really knew what the hell he was getting at… until he started asking about the Digital World."

"The Digital World!?" Taichi gasped.

"And more specifically, whether or not Osamu had, well, run away there," Jin said, with a nod. "It was all very upsetting for Ken, as you can imagine. Constantly having his brother's death thrown in his face like that, and even being used to try and get him to admit to the existence of the Digital World. We all figured it was just part of the act, as he knew it would get under Ken's skin. And Oikawa definitely didn't seem like the type to shy away from using a dead brother as an interrogation tactic."

The singing stopped. Keiko turned to her brother as Ryo sat upright, his body rigid.

"What happened to Ken?" Ryo asked, his voice hoarse and shaky.

Keiko ground her teeth together. "That ba…" She paused, glancing down at Tsuyosa briefly. "…That monster went after Ken-chan too?"

"Oikawa refused to drop it, and even at one point said something… no one really understood," Jin said, glancing over at Keiko and Ryo with an apologetic gaze. "He asked… how Osamu could be dead when there was no body."

"No… body?" Yamato repeated, slowly.

"Which we all knew was total bullshit, and it made the whole line of questioning even more insane," Jin said. "After all, there was a funeral. They cremated Osamu and buried him in the family plot. How the hell can you do that without a body? And there's no way in hell Ken's parents wouldn't notice their precious golden child missing from his casket." He paused, a severe frown marring his face. "But if… Osamu's alive, then… what the hell did they bury…?"

Miyako glanced over at Iori, who stood rigidly, not noticing her gaze. She straightened up with an air of authority as she turned back to the room and let out a sharp clap of her hands, drawing eyes to her as she looked around at the others. "Yeah, no, we're not talking about this in front of the baby." She gave a pointed look at Tsuyosa, who blinked at her, then returned her attention to the others. "Right now, let's just focus on what we're going to do about Zeed and his brainwashing."

Ryo let out a shudder at the sound of Zeed's name, feeling a rush of emotions so intense his stomach churned. Despite this, he somehow managed to get his voice to work. "And… about Zeed being my… m-my… m…"

Keiko placed her hand on Ryo's head and let out a soft shushing sound. "You don't have to say it."

Ryo shivered again, but bowed his head, letting Keiko stroke his hair softly. He felt guilty for crumbling so easily and wanting such comfort so badly. He should have been better than this. He was the Chosen of Miracles. He had so many responsibilities he needed to handle, and yet he couldn't even finish a sentence.

This whole thing… this messed up situation with Zeed… It was all his fault. He had to fix it. He just had no idea how.

"Well," Yamato said, slowly. His words came out stiff and awkward as he took the time to choose them with care, knowing how delicate the subject was. "The current plan seems to be… to take advantage of Zeed's state to, well… finish what Narakumon started back at the Battlefield Memorial. And then let the filter, ah… keep Zeed in time out until the DigiGods are awake and able to, uh… address him."

"Time out?" Ryo repeated as he turned to Yamato.

"Osamu has a filter that… filters out Digimon so that they can't, um," Yamato paused as he found it increasingly difficult to soften the subject. He grimaced, then sighed. "Let's just say, there's a reason we haven't seen Qinglongmon or Xuanwumon since we restored the Village of Beginnings… and Osamu plans to use that same reason on Zeed."

Ryo's eyes widened as the implications sunk in. "You're going to stop Zeed from being reborn."

"Only until Narakumon and Tenraimon are back up and running," Miyako said hastily as she held up her hands in a placating manner. "The plan is they're going to wipe out his memories so he hopefully won't… you know…" She gave a small shrug after an awkward pause. "I know it's harsh, but all our partners have done it before, right? They volunteered to forget their previous lives, so Zeed is just going to forget again, and you two will have the chance to start over like it never happened."

"Like it never happened…," Ryo repeated dully, his gaze distant. Could it really be that simple? Somehow it didn't feel that way. This didn't feel right… none of it did - not Zeed being his partner or anything they had to do about Zeed.

"It happened to him before, right?" Taichi said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So it's just… take two."

"We can't really discount how much of an influence Piemon had on Zeed," Miyako said as she pointed at Ryo. "Not that it justifies anything, mind you. Or excuses any of it. It's just an explanation, nothing more."

Tailmon frowned as her expression grew distant. She recalled her own existence as she served under Vamdemon, who himself was a minion of Piemon and the other Dark Masters. There was quite a bit she had done - and had been done to her - that couldn't easily be erased. She had even forgotten her partner while trapped in that hell. Even if the scars on her body had been erased when she was reborn, the memory of what had caused them was still there.

"It's all well and good to discuss the morality of it, but let's not forget the fact that this entire plan hinges on us being able to do something that even Narakumon couldn't do," Takeru said as he crossed his arms. "A filter won't do anything if it has nothing to filter, and Zeed not only has his own powers for us to contend with but eight of our own acting as bodyguards."

"Yeah," Taichi muttered. "And Palmon can even evolve to Ultimate."

"We can't count on just that," Takeru said, prompting Taichi to blink and look at him. He sighed and shook his head. "Zeed can evolve other Digimon, right? He's done it before, when Keiko and Ryo had to fight him. We've even seen him do it with our own eyes, when he helped Ken evolve V-mon to Imperialdramon. Which means…"

"He could evolve all of them to Ultimate," Iori finished for Takeru, his face pale. "We… would have to fight Imperialdramon ourselves, without Daisuke to calm him down."

"Iori…" Ryudamon muttered as he stared up at his partner, then reached over to touch his hand. "I-it will be fine. I will protect you!"

Iori's fingers curled around Ryudamon's own, but the rest of his body remained tense.

Ryudamon frowned. He could tell that his partner didn't believe him. However, before he could try and reassure the Chosen of Honor again, he was cut off by the sight of a gold flash. "Huh?"

The other Chosen Children looked up sharply just in time to see Koshiro and Jou jump out of a gate, so casual as if their appearance was the most natural thing in the world.

Taichi's jaw dropped. "Koshiro?! Jou?!"

The Chosen of Knowledge stumbled slightly before he adjusted his laptop back, then turned to smile at the others. "There you are! I was wondering what happened to everyone when no one was at my house anymore… looks like Lord Zeed was right."

"Lord Zeed is always right," Jou said as he adjusted his glasses, looking far too proud. "But he's especially right at this very moment."

Koshiro nodded at that as he rubbed his chin. "True enough!"

"Zeed was… right about what?" Taichi asked slowly as he stepped a little closer to Hikari, as discreetly as he could.

"Lord Zeed said he sensed Yamato, Miyako, and Sora gating out of the Crystal Tower," Jou said as he crossed his arms and gave a sharp nod. "When we didn't find you all at Koshiro's house, he told us your coordinates. And sure enough, here you are."

Sora blanched at that, then turned to stare at Yamato, who had a similar grimace on his face. While they had suspected it before, it was still unsettling to have it confirmed so obviously that their enemy could literally track them through the gates.

Miyako composed herself as best she could, straightening her back. "So, what's up? Are you here to try and talk us into joining your master's side or is there something else you want?"

"Oh, no," Koshiro said with a shake of his head. "We'll just wait for Lord Zeed to figure out your codes. It'll be less messy that way."

"We know you'll all be too stubborn to listen to reason," Jou said with a shrug before sighing and giving a similar shake of his own head. "I must admit, I feel ashamed how we were the same way before Lord Zeed fixed us."

"It is not your fault," Tentomon said. "It must be a result of the error in your coding."

"Which is why it's all the more important that Lord Zeed fix you all as soon as possible~!" Gomamon added, with an eerie smile.

Ryo could only gape in absolute horror at the guardian crests of Miracles. While he had understood that they were brainwashed, to actually see it in action was still all too jarring. Their golden eyes and empty smiles sent chills down his spine.

Even Jin, who had seen quite a lot of things in his life, stared at the two Chosen Children and their partners with a slack jaw. His eyes darted between them before a moment, before he found enough sense to mutter under his breath. "That's some Stepford Wives-level bullshit…"

"Bullshit," Tsuyosa agreed, which prompted Jin to freeze and Keiko to gawk at the little boy for a moment. She spared her older brother a sharp glare before returning her focus to the mind controlled Chosen in front of them.

"So, if you're… not here for that, then…," Takeru began slowly. "Why are you here?"

"We're actually just touching base with everyone before heading home," Jou said.

"Heading… home!?" Taichi choked out. "To your families!? Like that!?"

"Of course! Why not?!" Jou huffed, somewhat offended. "Honestly, Taichi… what's gotten into you?"

"But Zeed took you guys prisoner and brainwashed you!" Taichi said, alarmed.

"We're not prisoners," Koshiro said as he gave Taichi an odd look. "Lord Zeed has no reason to keep us captive like he did with Hikari."

Jou shook his head. "There's no point in reasoning with them until Lord Zeed fixes the error."

"Er, all that aside… not that it's any of our business, but…," Yamato began, choosing his words carefully. "If you're all going home, doesn't that leave Zeed all alone?"

"Oh, no, don't worry about Lord Zeed," Koshiro said, with a chuckle. "We decided to work in shifts. Mimi and Wallace have the first shift due to the time differences. Then Jou, Daisuke, or I will take the next shift. Everyone will rotate and make sure we have round-the-clock coverage. Anyone not on shift will be taking power naps, so we can keep up our day-to-day activities and protect Lord Zeed."

"It was Mimi's idea!" Jou said, brightly. "It's all thanks to having to juggle school and our Chosen work despite living practically on the other side of the world. Who knew that all her experiences would come in handy like this?"

"Great…," Miyako groaned as she ran her hand along her face, displacing her glasses.

Takeru gave a small nod as he grimaced. He didn't vocalize it, but Jou and Koshiro just confirmed that Zeed would have a hostage with him at all times, during any part of the day. It meant that night-time ambushes were an absolute no-go in any capacity. Even if just one of their friends was around, that one person could send a message to the others in mere moments. It made things considerably more difficult, as if they weren't difficult already.

Sora pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on before she stopped and gave a blink. "Huh? But wait, where's Daisuke? You said Wallace and Mimi were doing the first shift…"

"Oh, he went to go check on Ken," Koshiro said as he raised his pointer finger.

Jin gave a start at that. "Ah. Shit…"

Keiko immediately turned to look at him. "Brother?"

Jin paused, then gave his baby sister a helpless shrug. "I didn't really get a chance to bring it up with everything else going on, but, uh…"

A loud beep rang through the room from multiple directions, causing all the assembled Chosen Children to jump. Many moved simultaneously to grab their DT2s, to find themselves greeted by a message from Daisuke that was practically radiating panic.

KEN ISN'T IN THE HOTEL ROOM!

Hikari jolted at the message, then whipped her head around to stare at Jin. "Ken's disappeared?!"

"No, no, I know where he is," Jin said as he waved his hands reassuringly. "Tell Daisuke he's currently at a Ryuzaki hospital."

"H-hospital!?" Jou stammered, looking a little more like his normal self. "Ken's in the hospital!?"

"That's not exactly any more reassuring," Takeru pointed out, with a frown.

"He's fine, he's fine!" Jin stressed as he waved his hands a bit more quickly. "He, uh… had a bit of a moment. Remember that Oikawa guy I mentioned earlier? Apparently the bastard confronted Ken on the street while he was out, and… needless to say, a lot of vomit was involved. He had a bit of a breakdown."

"A breakdown!? What the hell!" Taichi protested, aghast. "That's even worse!"

"M-my guys were following him and got him away from Oikawa!" Jin said as he waved his hands somewhat frantically as he tried to calm the Chosen Children. "I had him checked out by one of our doctors and he's sleeping right now!"

"I… have to go see Ken!" Ryo said as he practically jumped up from the couch. "Where's the hospital?!"

"I'm letting Daisuke know," Koshiro said as he typed away at his DT2, his expression fierce. "Give me the address so I can send it to him."

Taichi frowned at Koshiro before looking at the others, but they seemed just as lost as he was. It didn't seem wise to let Daisuke see Ken given the state both of the boys were in. Unfortunately, talking sense into the controlled Chosen had already failed repeatedly, and it was unlikely that any of them could talk Daisuke out of going even in his normal state. Trying to force him not to go seemed too risky. In this state of brainwashing, none of them could be sure how ready the Chosen of Miracles were for an actual fight, or how far they might go in a real battle.

Jin looked at the children, sensing the tension in the air. He hissed out a curse under his breath before addressing the room. "Fine," he said. "He's in good hands, but I know that won't be enough for you. He probably won't be much for conversation, though. The doctors had to sedate him a little to help him calm down, so be prepared for that."

"Which means we should probably keep the crowd small," Takeru said as he glanced towards Hikari. "So he won't get overwhelmed. Especially given his memory is, well… what it is."

Hikari gave a nod before she stood up. "I'll go with Ryo. We'll meet Daisuke there, and that should be enough."

"I'll go too," Keiko said. "He won't be able to see me without Tsu, so it shouldn't… cause a reaction."

Ryo looked at Keiko and felt compelled to say something, but the words wouldn't come.

Keiko turned away from him, pretending not to notice, but instead focused on the little boy seated in her lap. "Thank you for helping me, Tsu. I have to go now, but I'll visit again soon."

Tsuyosa gave a small nod, looking far too serious for such a young child. He was all too familiar with hospitals, and even if he understood the help they brought, it was still enough to drain the smile from his face. "Yeah."

Keiko hugged her nephew close, and Tsuyosa squirmed around until he could hug her back.

"Oh!" Tsuyosa gasped before he straightened up from the hug, his expression turning serious. "I have something important to tell you, Auntie Keiko."

Keiko blinked in surprise before her brow furrowed with concern at a potential new problem. "What is it?"

Despite the tension in the air, Tsuyosa gave his aunt a beaming smile. "Your singing is really pretty."

Again, Keiko was caught off-guard by her nephew, but her surprise quickly softened and she offered him a small smile of her own in return. "Thank you, Tsu."

Jin managed a faint smile at the exchange between his baby sister and his nephew before the weight of the situation settled squarely onto his shoulders. "Alright then," he said with a sigh. "Looks like it's back to the hospital we go."

Wallace wanted to scream.

It was bad enough when Mimi volunteered them both to take the first shift in the Digital World, sending the other Chosen home so that they could rest. However,when Mimi herself then gated out home with promises of a quick trip and returning shortly with supplies, the blonde found himself alone - save Noir, of course - with a Digimon who had been described as the single most dangerous threat to not just this world but all of reality. Given everything he had seen up until that point, he genuinely believed every word of this tyrant's horrifying reputation.

Yet, here Wallace was, sitting at a Japanese tea table on the floor, with the diminutive terror known as Zeed sitting right across from him with an almost placid expression on his face.

Wallace twitched as he sat awkwardly on the floor with his legs crossed. He understood that the Japanese would sit on their knees, but his American body was deeply unaccustomed to the posture, so he gave up on it in short order when his knees started to ache. Every inch of his body fidgeted, from his fingers tapping on his knees to his eyes darting around in an attempt to focus on anyone - anything - besides the Dorumon across from him.

Noir's presence beside Wallace was a small comfort, but even the normally talkative Digimon was uncharacteristically silent, staring back at Zeed even as his partner attempted to do anything but that.

Zeed, on the other hand, seemed far more at ease. He smiled at the human child in front of him, almost serenely. It was impossible for him to overlook the boy's discomfort or Noir's sharp stare, but he showed no sign of concern or offense.

The calmness just made Wallace feel even twitchier. Surely Zeed must have been aware that he hadn't been brainwashed like the others. His blue eyes alone were a testament to that fact, if nothing else.

Yet, Zeed didn't seem at all bothered by it. If anything, he seemed more amused than anything else.

That possibility didn't do much to soothe Wallace's nerves, either.

As seconds ticked by with excruciating slowness. With each one that passed him by, he felt his nerves fray just a little bit more. He was reaching a breaking point, he could feel it. He was like a balloon that kept getting filled with air until it inevitably burst.

It was only when the pressure was starting to reach its limits that his brain finally gave him a brilliant excuse for a temporary retreat.

"Tea!" Wallace blurted out, before he could catch himself.

Zeed tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Hm~?"

Wallace paused before he scrambled to his feet. "I… I will make you some tea!" Without waiting for a response, he immediately spun about and bolted into the other room, which had been rearranged into a kitchen during the earlier impromptu renovations. "P-please wait a moment!"

"Mmhm." Zeed watched Wallace scurry away like a mouse before a cat, his lips curling up in an amused smile. "You do that."

It was only after the boy disappeared from sight that Zeed finally turned to look at Noir. Typically, the Terriermon would have followed after Wallace dutifully, like any good partner would.

Zeed smiled again, but the shape of it was a bit different, more dangerous with a hint of fangs ready to sink in at a moment's notice. "Well then. It seems we now have a moment to ourselves, and you all appear to have something you wish to say."

Noir stiffened immediately, his eyes going wide like saucers.

More eyes widened, peering intently at Zeed from an ever changing mass of bodies that struggled to keep a cohesive shape even as they meshed and melded with one another. It was a hideous conglomerate of shadows, hissing and murmuring almost constantly, but in that moment the voices went silent. The large writhing thing sitting across from him, using Noir as a figurehead, was an entity that mostly existed on a layer of reality that went unseen to all other entities but him.

It was amusing. Zeed smirked at seeing the abomination so shocked by his magnificence as he made eye contact with each and every creature in that writhing mass. Parts of it would be warped and consumed, only to reemerge mostly in the same shape as before, but the eyes somehow managed to remain fixed in place. Noir appeared entirely unaffected by the subtle shifting of the rest of his true body, the dark colored Terriermon sitting as still as a statue.

Overall, Zeed was mildly impressed. The creatures pretending to be an innocent looking little Digimon were in far more stable shape than the rest of the lost souls trapped in the Dark Ocean.

"Well~?" Zeed pressed, still smiling ever so friendly. "I'm waiting."

The response came swiftly, though it was not aimed at him. Instead, a myriad of voices began shrieking at each other, in a chaotic argument that Zeed had the exclusive privilege of listening to.

HE CAN SEE US!? WHO THE HELL IS THIS BASTARD!? WE SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED! I TOLD YOU SO! WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN WALLACE AND DITCHED THE CHOSEN CHILDREN THE VERY MOMENT THAT BASTARD TOOK LIGHT AS A HOSTAGE! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK! WE NEVER SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH THE CHOSEN IN THE FIRST PLACE! WHAT!? IT WAS YOUR IDEA TO SEND THAT DAMN EMAIL AND INTRODUCE WALLACE TO THEM! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP US KEEP AN EYE ON THEM! I TOLD YOU AND YOU NEVER LISTEN! AND HOW DID THAT WORK OUT!? WHAT DO WE DO!? IT WORKED OUT PERFECTLY! UNTIL NOW, YOU FOOL! YOU NEVER LISTEN! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! I - TOLD - YOU - ALL!

Noir said nothing as he remained rigidly seated, staring at Zeed as the rest of the conglomerate screamed and screeched at each other over the current situation.

Zeed listened patiently for a moment before he clucked his tongue. "My…" The voices immediately went silent at the sound of his voice. "There are… considerably fewer of you now than what you started with, isn't there?"

All eyes were on him again, and Zeed grinned back at the abomination charmingly. "But then, I suppose the Chosen Children are to blame for that, hm?" He leaned forward, lacing his claws together before resting his chin atop them. "Then again, I did not expect any of you to survive that little distraction, so I suppose congratulations are in order, and a 'job well done'~!"

Noir stiffened. "You used us," he hissed, his voice accusing.

"I gave you an opportunity to assist me," Zeed replied. "And you did precisely that, and with great aplomb~!"

The conglomeration started speaking all at once again, but Zeed tuned out their panicked chatter. He focused instead on Noir, who appeared the most calm and sane of them all. He smirked a little. "I must admit, I never would have expected any of you to use a human in such a manner, what with your usual hunger to have all living things join you. You only took a small piece of him, just enough to bind yourselves to him, all without him even noticing. You even changed how your touch affects him to insert a piece of yourself into him in exchange."

Zeed paused, cocking his head slightly in the direction Wallace retreated before looking back at Noir. "You, specifically, I believe? I wonder what you did to convince the others to let you be the one 'in charge.' Is it because you actually feel something for that boy besides hatred?"

Noir felt the eyes of the others bearing down on him now, their hissing whispers and snarls resounding through his body. He remained stiff, not daring to look away from Zeed to gaze at any of them. "In case you didn't notice, I'm the only one with a cute face. Wallace never would have trusted any of their disgusting mugs."

"Ah yes, of course," Zeed said before wiggling his claws. "An appealing form certainly does wonders, doesn't it?"

Noir's mouth tightened into a straight line as he clenched his jaw.

Zeed stretched out leisurely, his whole body getting into the motion from claw-tips to tail. "Well, I suppose I should commend you for making it this far. You've exceeded my expectations for you, and figured out an interesting little use for the power I allowed you to borrow for your grand performance. To think, using my power to create a human anchor in this world to escape that wretched hellscape! How positively quaint!" He paused to chuckle. "I really did outdo myself with your creation, didn't I?

"What do you want?" Noir asked, his voice low, dangerous. "You're not just telling us this for fun."

"Of course not," Zeed chuckled. "I'm telling you so that you can marvel at my own magnificence as much as I am~! You should feel grateful that you, of all of the lost souls trapped in the Dark Ocean, have this opportunity, all thanks to me."

Noir's expression deadpanned as his ears canted back.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, I suppose I can be a bit less subtle and more on to the point," Zeed drawled. He then leaned forward, his eyes taking on a sharp glint. "I am not interested in interfering with you and your little game of pretend. Your agenda with the boy is of no concern to me. That includes whatever interests you have with the Chosen Children. Their obliviousness to the unaccounted numbers among their own is not my concern."

The air seemed to grow colder in that instant. "What is my concern…" Zeed still wore a smile, but it had changed, growing sharper and more dangerous. "…Is whether or not you are so foolish to have any intentions towards my Beloved. Needless to say, it would be in your best collective interests if you do not." His lips curled up in to a snarl, flashing his razor sharp teeth in an expression that could only be described as murderous. "I am sure you remember all too clearly who made you, and who can unmake you."

Noir shivered, as did the rest of the collective.

Zeed held their stare for a moment before his smile returned, though still sharp and pointed. "So long as we have an understanding, hm~?"

Noir managed a small nod; he didn't dare anything else.

It was enough to placate Zeed, at least for the moment. He leaned back, situating himself back on his little tea table cushion comfortably as his perfectly pleasant mask settled back on his face.

"Though, I am admittedly rather… intrigued by the possibilities you've brought to my attention," Zeed said, his tail flicking lightly. "Creating bonds between humans and Digimon… how very interesting~! Perhaps I can look into using it on my Beloved? I'll have to give it some thought~!"

"Wait," Noir said as his eyes widened, as excited murmuring came from the rest of the conglomerate. "So you could do it again? You could free more of us from the Dark Ocean?!"

"I don't see why I couldn't," Zeed replied with a casual shrug. His smile turned into an unfriendly smirk. "I don't see why I would, mind you, but I don't see why I couldn't."

Noir's expression deadpanned again, an expression that seemed to be shared amongst his collective colleagues.

Zeed looked as though he was about to continue when he stopped and glanced off to the side. "Ah. It would seem we'll have to put a pin in this conversation."

Noir frowned. Before he could ask what the Dorumon meant, a bright golden light signaled the creation of a gate. The Black Terriermon turned about to stare as Mimi suddenly appeared, returning from her trip with her arms filled to the brim with designer bags filled with books, magazines, and DVDs. Even Palmon looked as though she had no room left to spare, balancing cargo in her arms and even a bag precariously balanced on her head.

"Zeed-chama, we're back~!" Mimi chirped before she paused at the sight in front of her. "Oh? Where's Wallace?"

"About that," Zeed said, with an easygoing smile. "The poor boy offered to make me tea and headed into the kitchen, but has yet to return. I suppose he must be in over his head and too embarrassed to admit it. Be a dear and go help him, won't you?"

"Of course!" Mimi said, brightly. She carefully placed her bags down on the ground by the tea table before practically skipping into the kitchen. "I'll be back in a moment to help you unpack, Palmon!"

"Don't worry, I've got it~!" Palmon all but sang as she began busying herself with unloading the seemingly endless supply of teenage consumable media, starting with the bag on her head. "I'll have everything set up for Zeed-chama in no time flat~!"

Noir grimaced before he turned back to stare at Zeed, who met his gaze with a smile, followed by a wink.

"I am nothing if not benevolent," Zeed said.

The absent smile and unfocused eyes on Ken Ichijouji's face was all the confirmation Hikari needed that they were in for a particularly interesting visit. An interesting - and entirely unproductive - visit.

Ryo, Hikari, Tailmon, and Monodramon stood in the doorway of Ken's hospital room as the boy in question was lying in his hospital bed, propped up with pillows as he sat comfortably without a care in the world. The Chosen of Kindness was idly glancing around his room, but not actually seeing any of it, as he looked happy as a clam.

"Yeah," Tailmon muttered, her arms crossed. "He's flying very high right now. Will he even recognize us?"

"Let's find out," Ryo said after a moment's hesitation before he approached the bed slowly. "…Ken?"

Ken paused before he turned to look at Ryo and blinked slowly. He stared for a long moment without registering the other boy's presence before a bright smile splattered unevenly across his face. "Ryooooo~! I fooooound you~!"

"Huh?" Ryo blinked. "You… found me?"

"Yep," Ken chirped, then giggled. "You're looking soooo much better now~! So, so, soooo much better… sooooooo much better…"

Ryo grimaced, his hand instinctively reaching up to grip his neck. "Ah… yeah. I… guess I do."

Monodramon frowned. He felt like he was intruding on a very personal moment for Ryo, but he didn't want to leave the Chosen of Miracles' side, even for an instant. If nothing else, he was a non-presence around Ken, given the boy wouldn't have known him even if in his right mind. It was probably best to keep it that way, if only so that it would be easier for him to watch over Ryo.

After all, it wasn't as if Ken was the only one who was suffering.

Monodramon might not have known Ryo for long, but he paid rapt attention to the Chosen of Miracles since their first meeting. In all that time, he learned to notice the signs of strain and trauma that Ryo tried hiding behind a brave mask. The Chosen of Miracles was truly an inspiration to manage to keep moving forward in spite of everything, but the strength the boy showed was so fragile, the dragon Digimon feared that sooner or later, Ryo might break down completely.

The worst part of it all was that Monodramon was helpless to stop it - he could only do his best to support Ryo until the end.

"How are you feeling, Ken?" Hikari asked hesitantly even though she already had an idea of what the answer was.

"Fiiiiine," Ken said, with an absent smile. "Sooooo much better… I'm not throwing up anymore, which is good."

"That's… good," Ryo said with an awkward smile.

"Yep!" Ken chirped in agreement. "Good!"

At that moment, the door nearly burst open as Daisuke burst into the room with Chibimon clinging to his shoulder. Even with the foreign golden color his eyes had taken, they were still filled with concern and panic for the boy who he once called his best friend. "Ken!? Are you okay!?"

"Daaaisuuukeeeee~!" Ken practically sang with a big, goofy smile on his face as he stretched his arms out towards the goggle boy. "Daaaai-suuu-keee, daaaaai-suuu-kiiii, dai-su-ke, dai-su-ki~!"

Daisuke stumbled in his steps when Ken twisted the Japanese language to turn his name into a form of endearment. Hearing the other boy say something so bold as, "I like you," even just as a play on words turned his face fire engine red, and he froze in place, his glowing golden eyes widening in shock.

Ken didn't seem to register Daisuke's shock, or that of the others as he continued his sweet sounding litany, swapping the final syllable of the Chosen of Tenacity's name so that it became a very affectionate phrase that none of the assembled Chosen Children were expecting to hear. He giggled and grinned as he repeated the phrase over and over. At times he randomly dragged the syllables out. Other times he babbled quickly, adding an alternating and unpredictable emphasis to each syllable.

It took a minute for Daisuke to snap out of his shock. The unexpected warmth in his face cooled as an icy pit formed in his stomach and twisted with the sickening bile of guilt.

No, this wasn't Ken telling Daisuke he liked the other boy. It was obvious that he wasn't in his right mind. It was like he was drunk again, only this time off of whatever concoction of chemicals the doctors injected him with. It was no more real than the delusion he suffered from that the world was all a fake created by a sadistic Digimon.

If Ken was in his right mind, he would feel nothing for Daisuke but hatred.

It was a sobering thought, one that stiffened Daisuke's steps as he forced himself to finish his approach towards the bed. He somehow managed a wan smile as he accepted when Ken snatched up his hands and squeezed them with a giddy giggle. "H-hey, Ken." His voice cracked, brittle and weak. "How… h-how are you?"

Daisuke immediately kicked himself internally. The answer was so obvious. Why did he bother asking? Didn't he have anything better he could say? He was such an idiot.

"I-am-fiiiiiine, Dai-su-keee~!" Ken said, with an easygoing smile. It was another play on words, with the boy genius rhyming 'dai-jou-bu' with 'dai-su-ke'. It seemed that the sedative was certainly loosening his mood - and his tongue. "Soooo much better, soooo much better~!"

Daisuke did his best to smile, though it was too tight and too forced for anyone to believe it was real unless they were doped up on drugs. "That's… that's good, Ken."

Hikari slid her concerned gaze from Ken to Daisuke. For a moment she could only stare at her friend's unnaturally golden eyes that glowed faintly even in the light. "How are you doing, Daisuke?"

Daisuke blinked and jolted, startled by the sudden question, then turned to Hikari, Tailmon, and Ryo, stunned. "Wha… when did you get here?"

Ryo rubbed the back of his head. "We've… we've been here the whole time."

"Oh…," Daisuke muttered, his cheeks taking on a distinctly pink hue as he looked away awkwardly. He couldn't help the very distinct sense of deja vu, but he shoved it aside. "Sorry, uh, I just…"

"It's okay," Hikari said gently. "We're all worried about Ken… and you."

Daisuke blinked then shook his head. "I-I'm fine. I just, ya know, wanna make sure Ken's okay."

Under normal circumstances, that would have been Hikari would have called Daisuke on the obvious lie. Her biggest concern should have been helping the two reconcile, but those golden eyes of his were a constant reminder of a threat far greater than anything that she and the rest of the Chosen had faced before.

Ken seemed to be enjoying the conversation going on around him, even if he clearly didn't understand it if his vapid smile was anything to go by. He was simply enjoying the company and the sound of voices he remembered, both which acted like a soothing balm. For what pain, he couldn't quite remember, but he was fine with leaving it where it was for the moment.

At least, he was until he noticed something off about Daisuke. The Chosen of Kindness paused and tilted his head. He stared hard at the other boy, or as hard as they could with his unfocused eyes. Even narrowing them only gave him a small amount of precision, though it was enough to help Ken narrow down what was so strange.

"Dai-su-keeee," Ken said with a frown. "I don't like it."

"Huh?" Daisuke looked at Ken and blinked. He jerked when the other boy suddenly moved in closer, practically falling over, before he managed to catch himself. He froze as the two were literally face to face, with the Chosen of Kindness's face twisted in a scowl while on his hands and knees, leaning until he was close to tipping off of the bed.

"Your eyes are gold now," Ken said as he furrowed his brow, his face skewed in lopsided disapproval. "I don't like it… I like your eyes better."

Daisuke blinked his golden eyes repeatedly and blushed at the praise. "Wha… really? You liked m-my eyes?"

"Yes," Ken said, matter-of-factly. "I like Daisuke's eyes best."

Tailmon arched her brows straight up as she blinked at the Chosen of Kindness' absolute candor, before she turned to glance at Hikari with a quirked eyebrow. She couldn't help but wonder how much Ken would remember of this exchange after the medication had worn off, or how much he would pretend not to remember.

Daisuke felt his face heat up further, and he suddenly found that he had no idea what to do with his hands, which he fluttered awkwardly about at his sides like two trapped birds looking for an escape from a snare. He shifted in place as his eyes dropped to the floor, stumbling over his words as he faltered over how to respond.

"So, uh, anyway," Ryo began as he shifted his attention from Daisuke to Ken which prompted the Chosen of Kindness to turn and look at him with a goofy smile. "Jin mentioned Oikawa going after you… what happened? Do you remember anything?"

"Oh, yes," Ken said with a sage nod as he flopped back into a sitting position on the bed. "Neemon took me to another pillar point that looked like my old fortress, but when I got there, I made this weird Digimon attack myself, and then I realized it was because I actually still want to die, and that scared me."

There was so much loaded in such an offhand comment that the assembled Chosen Children didn't know which aspect to react to first. So instead, they opted to react to all of them at the same time. Shock and horror immediately played out across their faces, to which Ken seemed completely indifferent to as he sat so casually in his bed with his smile still on his face.

"Neemon!?" Ryo blurted out.

"Pillar point…?" Tailmon repeated, her brow furrowed as she struggled to search her memory for what the Chosen of Kindness might be referring to.

"You want to die!?" Daisuke moved over to Ken's side in an instant.

Hikari similarly moved to the opposite side of the bed and reached over to grab Ken's hand. "Ken-!"

"What?" Ken asked as he turned to glance between Hikari and Daisuke. "Of course I do. I've always thought I should've died with everyone else. I just thought I had come to terms with that, but a-ppar-ent-ly not~!"

Daisuke's mouth worked uselessly as he stared at Ken, his golden eyes wide with horror too big for him to grasp.

Hikari felt her heart wrench in a vice, and her grip on Ken's hand tightened as a tremor ran through her body. "Ken…"

The air was thick with the stench of burnt flesh. Ryo stood frozen as his mind conjured a vivid image of a crater. There were burnt body parts at the bottom of it, more of it than there were before. The pieces were barely recognizable, but he knew who they belonged to.

Ryo was at Ken's side before his mind fully caught up with him, even as the hospital seemed to take on qualities of earth scarred with scorch marks all around him. He didn't even notice he shoved Daisuke aside in his haste to seize Ken by the shoulders and turn his friend towards him. "Ken!"

Ken blinked, his head tilting until it flopped to the side, eliciting a giggle from him. "Yes~?"

A tremor ran through Ryo as his grip tightened on Ken, though his friend didn't really register the increase in pressure. His jaw tightened, making his words come out stilted and harsher than he intended. "Don't you dare die! I won't let you! Do you understand me? Don't you ever die!"

There was a flicker of gold in the eyes of the Chosen of Miracles, and for a moment Ryo was a presence bigger than the traumatized child he was.

In an instant, Hikari shrank back from Ryo, her instincts screaming at her of the danger he posed in that moment despite everything she knew of the boy so far. There was an aura around Ryo now, something dangerous, and she couldn't help but be alarmed by the change that came over him. Tailmon sensed it as well, and was between the two of them before she could do more than take a step backwards, wary of what was happening now.

Daisuke froze in his tracks. In an instant his expression shifted from fear to rigid attention, his golden eyes glowing just a little brighter as he turned all of his attention to Ryo. Chibimon blinked a few times before doing the same.

Ken stopped and stared at Ryo, taken aback by the boy's sudden change - and his outburst. It took a moment for him just to comprehend what was said to him, let alone what was happening to his oldest friend, his mind hindered heavily by the drugs that were trying to keep him calm.

Finally, something clicked in his brain and Ken had to look away, his face twisting with shame. "You would never say that if you knew what I've done."

Ryo paused, his eyes widening as confusion appeared on his face.

"It should have been me - it always should have been me," Ken said, shaking slightly. "The most useless, constantly dragging everyone down… at the very least, in this way, I could have been useful. It should have been me instead of Osamu. It should have been me instead of you. And Keiko. And Nyamon. And Piccolomon… Ogremon. And L-Leomon. A-and Zennyu… and K-K-Kyoumon… a-and Worm-m-mon!"

As he spoke, Ken's shaking grew more pronounced. His voice quaked as well, nearly breaking apart completely as tears spilled free down his flushed cheeks. The pain was too much for the medicine to quiet completely, and he reached up to grip the sides of his head as horrible memories full of death and pain tore into him as they had done for the past three years.

"S-so many…," Ken choked. "My fault…! And I keep getting left behind…!" He shook his head before he finally looked back at Ryo, throwing his hands down to his sides as he howled out his pain like a dying animal. "Why couldn't you have taken me with you!?"

The aura of power around Ryo fizzled out, and he was once more just a child, hurt, scared, and confused. He seized Ken in a tight hug, their bodies trembling together as he held his friend close. "I… I'm sorry, Ken. I'm so sorry… but I'm here now. I'm not leaving again… and Keiko will be back soon. I'll make sure of it."

Ken went silent as he trembled, his hands instinctively moving to grip Ryo. More than grip, but feel - he felt Ryo, as if to confirm that his friend was physically there, truly there.

For a long time they just held each other as though one or both of them might disappear. Eventually, Ken crumpled against Ryo, and rested his head on his friend's shoulder as Ryo leaned on his. "Okay," he mumbled.

Daisuke shook his head to clear it, suddenly a little unsteady on his feet as though he just woke up from a dream. Chibimon had a similar reaction, looking around in confusion. Daisuke blinked his gold eyes a few times before turning back to Ken and coming back to the present. He moved as close as he could without breaking up the hug between the two childhood friends.

"Ken…," Daisuke began, only to falter. He swallowed hard to clear the lump from his throat. "We… we don't want you to die. I… I'm sorry for what I did… back then… but you're… you're important to me… to all of us. We don't want you to die."

Ken blinked at that and lifted his head enough to look past Ryo's shoulder at Daisuke. He was silent for a moment before his expression softened. "I know… which is why it scared me… that I still felt that way. I thought I had gotten better. But then I found myself thinking I deserved it and-"

"You don't!" Daisuke shouted, as though he could destroy that horrifying thought with his voice alone. "You absolutely don't! Shit keeps happening to you and yeah, you made mistakes, but that doesn't mean… I mean, I made mistakes too, y'know!?"

"Daisuke's right, Ken," Hikari said, as he glanced at Daisuke, before returning her attention to Ken. "You've been through so much… carrying a heavy burden that no one should have asked of you. But we're here now, and we'll help. We're all going to help each other, because they're our burdens now. None of us are alone anymore." She looked over to Ryo, giving him a pointed look full of meaning, but he couldn't lift his head to look her way even as he refused to ease his grip on Ken.

Ken frowned at that, resting the side of his head against Ryo's shoulder. There was the faint inkling of something nagging at him from within the depths of his mind, something he just couldn't name or even guess the vague shape of. It was the same as everything else - a fog that refused to clear, and a distant ringing of a bell. In the end, all he could do was let out a frustrated sigh. "My head hurts."

Ryo gave Ken a tight squeeze before letting out a shuddering sigh. "It's okay, Ken… Just rest, okay? We can talk about this more when you're feeling better, okay?"

"'Kaaaaay," Ken mumbled as the weight of such heavy emotions drained the energy from him, leaving him limp and weary. He closed his eyes, his entire body sagging against his friend as he let the medicine help ease him away from all the sharp edges in his mind that bled him for so long.

Tentatively, Ryo lowered Ken to the bed as his gut twisted with worry. He saw a similar expression on Daisuke's face, and the gold color of the other boy's eyes as well as Chibimon's only added to the nausea that churned inside him.

"Did you notice?" Tailmon asked, her voice quiet. It prompted Hikari to finally look away from Ken to stare at her. "He mentioned Keiko and Nyamon."

Hikari blinked at that before her eyes widened. "He did! And Kyoumon too!"

"That's right!" Daisuke blurted out as he straightened up. "He didn't recognize her at all before but he literally just said her name!"

Tailmon reached up to tap her claw against her chin. "He mentioned a few other names that bother me, too,"

"Oh, that, uh…," Monodramon began, his voice drawing everyone to him as they suddenly remembered he was even there. He faltered before he lowered his voice, his body drooping. "T-they all… they were all Digimon we, uh… l-lost."

"Lost?" Daisuke repeated, with a blink.

"During… that battle," Monomdramon said softly. "They fought b-bravely against, er… him, but…" He trailed off, unable to finish. He cast Ryo an anxious glance.

Tailmon's eyes widened before she spat out a curse, her tail giving a sharp snap.

Ryo said nothing, clenching his jaw. Whether it was to keep himself from saying something or to prevent himself from throwing up, he didn't know.

Tailmon exhaled deeply, her shoulders hanging heavy with the weight that they all were forced to carry now. She only let herself bend for a moment before straightening up with a defiant snort as she shifted her focus back to Ken. "Anyway. He started out with some weird talk about Neemon and Pillar Points, but then started talking about Keiko. It could just be the medicine, it could also mean…"

"He's starting to remember," Hikari finished, her eyes lighting up.

"Jin said he had a 'breakdown,'" Tailmon said. "It sounds like that 'breakdown' was his real memories starting to return and clashing with his false ones. That would explain why the doctors had to drug him - it probably wasn't pretty when it was happening. We'll have to see what he's like once the drugs have worn off, which will hopefully be after everything has been settled. Properly."

"Which means he'll probably go back to hating me," Daisuke muttered, clenching his fists. "And I'll deserve it."

"No way!" Chibimon disagreed, shaking his head. "No way, no way!"

"Chibimon's right. That's definitely not going to happen," Tailmon said before a small smirk appeared on her face. "Dai-su-ki Dai-su-ke."

Daisuke immediately went quiet, his face turning bright red.

Ryo didn't really register their words, letting their voices wash over him like waves on a shore. Instead he focused on holding Ken, who had all but collapsed into his arms. His friend had fallen into a deep sleep, his expression relaxed and peaceful.

It was a blessing after everything Ken had gone through.

Ryo closed his eyes and began to stroke his friend's hair as he just listened to his friend breathe. It was a soothing sound, slow, even, and peaceful. It was almost enough to drown out the chaotic thoughts wreaking havoc in his aching head that stank of charred flesh.

It was the only thing keeping him from screaming.