Chapter 19

"Seems like you caused another death, Faith. Don't you ever grow tired of killing all those innocent Digimon?"

Izzy didn't respond to him as he saw Davis come running towards him.

"Davis?"

Davis knelt down beside him and began to try and pull him up.

"You need to get up."

"Why?"

"Because we need you to defeat Eucaliptusmon."

"Is that all there is?" Izzy asked as he stumbled and Davis bit his lip before punching the ground.

"Damn it, you are supposed to be the strongest Digidestined ever. You should be able to defeat him."

Izzy looked up towards the Digimon fighting Eucaliptusmon.

"They are fighting."

"They are trying to buy time so that you can recover."

"Is that the only reason they keep fighting, Davis? Or is there another reason as well?"

Sudden anger ran through Davis as he looked into Izzy's dark eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"They are fighting because they have hope; hope that we can win this!"

"Where do they keep getting that hope? Everyone's dead, we...I failed to protect them. I couldn't protect them," tears began to run down Davis' cheeks.

"It is not your fault. I know you don't believe me right now, but in a while you will understand what I mean, you couldn't have helped them even if you had wanted to."

"I survived when they didn't."

"It isn't too late yet. I want to bring them back, even if it is the last thing I ever do. But I can't do it on my own."

Davis looked up to Izzy.

"Can you really bring them back?"

"I hope so."

"Hope...why does everyone keep saying to have hope, what good does hope do?"

Izzy closed his eyes. "Hope gives people the strength to fight the dark. It gives them something to look forward to, something to fight for."

"To fight for?"

"Hope brings light in the darkness and gives courage and strength to the scared to stand up against the dark on their own. It gives the friends of those fallen enough strength to keep believing in their friends, no matter what."

"Is hope really that strong?"

Izzy smiled as he turned to him.

"Think about when you have a soccer match. You are behind on score and it is almost time. You keep aiming for that one goal that can lead you to victory and make your friends and team proud of you."

"I hope for a goal then...I see what you mean," Davis smiled and held out his hand.

"It takes hope to awaken the other emotions."

Izzy nodded as he took Davis' hand and let him pull them up as Davis' chest began to shine with his crest.

"What can I do to help you?"

"You just did," Izzy smiled as he pulled his crest out from underneath Joe's borrowed shirt and handed it over.

"If I don't make it, use this."

"What do you mean, if you don't make it?"

"Just keep it with you for now," Izzy smiled and Davis shrugged confused as he put the tag away in his pocket.

"Sure," he turned to the others and saw that everyone's crest shone on their chests. "Everyone..."

"They're having hope," Izzy smiled as he closed his eyes again and Davis could feel the same in his heart, he could feel his own hope.

"Bring back our friends," he smiled as Izzy opened his eyes again to reveal the golden glow again.

Bright light, brighter than before appeared all around them, blinding even Eucaliptusmon and they all had to close their eyes to protect them.

As Davis opened his eyes again, he blinked, surprised to see Izzy collapse onto his knees with blood slipping out of his mouth.

"What went wrong?"

"Seems like your little trick didn't work. Time for me to get serious then."

Matt gasped as several arms spread out to knock them all of their feet.

"We can't stop him anymore, what went wrong?"

Joe gasped as he sat up again. "It didn't work; I think Izzy is too far out of power."

Matt's eyes widened as he suddenly realised something. "We took most of his powers away from him; he can't do this without our help!"

Joe and Kari both gasped as they realised the same and Kari rolled her eyes as the two bickered.

"Instead of fighting each other, don't you think we ought to help him?"

"I can't seem to stand up," Matt breathed out as he leaned on his arms.

Davis blinked as Matt's words registered. "Your powers...they..."

"Taken...I forgot about that," Izzy coughed as he scrambled into a sitting position while their Digimon tried to distract Eucaliptusmon. "Is there any way to give them back to me?"

"No, but you can bind your strengths together so Izzy can have access to it all," Gennai held his hands.

"Don't we need the others for that? Since they also hold part of his powers?" Davis asked.

"No, when they died that power was automatically returned to me," Izzy scrambled to his feet as well as the others.

"Honestly, Faith. They took your powers from you, who needs enemies like me when you have friends like that. Why don't you join me so that together we can rule the world?"

Disgust appeared on Izzy's face as he turned to the others. "Hold out your hands and give me your strength."

"You didn't think I would truly let you do that, did you?" Eucaliptusmon laughed as he attacked again, but a shield surrounded them as Izzy collected the powers from the others and a curtain of smoke rose, making him incapable of trying anything until he could see them again.

Eucaliptusmon laughed again as the smoke began to clear up, revealing the five standing there, still with their hands clasped together.

"And what exactly did you think would happen?" his laughter died abruptly when the smoke cleared completely to show a total of twelve young humans, twelve Digidestined who were all looking determined to stop him.

"Took you long enough," a young man with brown hair that defied all gravity grinned...