"We all hold secrets within us…And there are no exceptions.
Sometimes, it is because of fear that we keep those secrets…
Other times…we keep them to protect others from it…

For some times now Regan Astrasz had been living with a terrible secret…
First Ragnarok…
And then…Ragnarastrasz…

Regan Astrasz and Ragnarastrasz…

The time for this secret's unfolding may have come soon now…"

Chapter 15 : Regan Astrasz and Ragnarastrasz : The Bonds of Life

Silence filled the ruined area where the battle against Ragnarok had just been happening a few moments ago.

The dreaded beast had returned, and it seemed even stronger than ever…
But the Digidestined and the Tamers had been able to defeat him…
…but for what price?

Regan…was no more…

Sobs came from OrahAngewomon, as Kylee, Impmon, AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon all clearly reacted badly to the news Krasus had just given them…
About what he had done…
Krasus let out a long sigh. "I apologize for this, but unfortunately, despite that I tried to find another way…I could find no other alternative…" he said.

"And Regan actually said yes?" UltimaRyumon asked, sounding dark, clutching his long sword's hilt tightly.

"Yes…he did…" Krasus answered, nodding. He looked at OrahAngewomon. "Kari…
He wanted you to know…
That he was sorry…" the wizard added.

"…Sorry?" OrahAngewomon repeated.
"Yes, it was his request…I wish I could have been able to do-"
"You idiot!!!"

No one else around probably never expected what just happened…
…probably not even Krasus…

OrahAngewomon had just lunged forward and so quickly before she had grabbed Krasus by the collar of her cloak and lifted her in the air, bringing his face closer to hers, still covered by her helmet.

"Kari-" UltimaRyumon started, a bit dumbfounded, but stopped…He was actually unsure what he should have been doing…
Maybe he would have just done that too…

"Why did you do this to Regan?!? Why???" OrahAngewomon asked, undoubtedly sounding angry. "You probably even knew that with whatever method you showed up to Regan, he'd be saying yes really quickly, and you're actually trying to say you're sorry too?!?"

"Hem…Kari? Maybe you…could stop?" AmaKaisermon asked, a bit unsure.

"Why Krasus?!? What are we to you anyway? We're just pawns for you like Regan often says or what???" OrahAngewomon asked angrily.

Krasus's eyes narrowed before he reached out to OrahAngewomon's arm that was holding her. The moment he touched the arm, a bright and powerful flash of light occurred, and OrahAngewomon suddenly stepped back, releasing her hold on Krasus, who fell back on his feet, although with the hood fallen back, better showing up his features, especially the scars on the right side of his face and his slightly pointy ears that were coming out of his hairs.

But the way he looked right now…it really didn't made him look friendly…as the air around him seemed to have grown darker, thicker, giving a more frightening aura to the wizard.

"And just like Regan, you keep misjudging me without knowing everything, Kari Kamiya…" Krasus spoke on a darker tone.
He closed his eyes before taking a long breath…and the darker aura seemed to fade from him.
"I can understand your pain, and I clearly sympathize with you for those losses…" Krasus started, putting back his hood on his head.
"Yet…if all of you do dearly hold Regan in your hearts, then it behoves all of you to go face him to recover him." He added.
"Huh?" All the digimon and Kylee looked confused.
"Do you mean…there is a way to get Regan back?" UltimaRyumon asked.
"Yes…in a sense…" Krasus answered. "But it will be most difficult…"
"What do we have to do?" OrahAngewomon asked.

"You must defeat Ragnarastrasz." Krasus answered.
"…Ehh, what?" AmaKaisermon asked. "You want us to fight that dragon?"

"As I mentioned earlier, Ragnarastrasz cannot truly exist as long as Regan does exist. The same thing applies on the opposite sense. If Ragnarastrasz ceases to exist, then Regan could be recovered.
But if you hesitate too much, then Ragnarastrasz will go on before he will leave this world…and Regan will be lost forever…" Krasus explained.

"You're a real jerk Krasus…You should know that…
I can't believe you're just doing that, and you say you're helping us…" OrahAngewomon muttered…and then flew in the air, flying in the direction where the red dragon went.
"…We follow her?" AmaKaisermon asked to UltimaRyumon.
"Do so." Krasus said. "Alone, she will not be enough to return Regan. It will take much to bring him back…

If all of your bonds of friendship are indeed strong enough…then he may be saved…" Krasus added.
"I understand…" UltimaRyumon replied, nodding to Krasus. "Come on Ama." He added before taking off to the skies.
AmaKaisermon soon went after him.

"You're sure we can trust Krasus? I can't believe you still trust him like that…" AmaKaisermon said.
"Regan…he didn't deserve to be…gone…"
"I understand why you can be angry at Krasus…and why Kari is too…
But believe me when I say that Krasus is trust-worthy…more so than you can imagine…
I know him a lot more than you know…" UltimaRyumon replied. "And if says there's a chance to bring back Regan…" The dragon knight digimon tightened his sword's hilt once more. "…Then I don't want to miss it…"

---

Krasus watched the other fly away, in the same direction than Ragnarastrasz had just went to before he turned his attention to Kylee when he heard her grunt a bit."
"Ugh…Come on Impmon, we gotta do something…" Kylee muttered.
"I'm afraid you cannot." Krasus interrupted. "Both of you are far too wounded to go on."
"Gee, thanks to notice…but we still wanna help the others out!" Impmon added before wincing.
"I believe Regan would understand that you were unable to help…After all, you are still connected to him, through your friends…" Krasus said.
"Yeah right…You think it's okay for us?" Impmon said.
"And what about you?" Kylee said. "You keep saying all that stuff about that you're the one that's sorry, and yet you just keep telling us to 'do this' and 'do that'! It's like Regan is right about this 'pawn' thing about you!
And while now Riza, Kari, Veemon, Gatomon and Lizomon are all going to fight against that dragon Ragnarastrasz, you're just staying there and you'll do nothing? Just like when you rather did nothing when Ragnarok came?!?" she asked, repeteadly hammering Krasus with her questions.
But the wizard remained silent, looking back toward where all the others had flown away…
"Hey!!! Answer me when I'm talking to you!!!" Kylee yelled as she grabbed at Krasus' cloak and tugged hard on it.

But Krasus didn't replied back. Instead, he vanished into the air, Kylee's hold on his cloak suddenly vanishing as she fell forward in the ruined ground.
"Darn it…" She muttered, tears slowly coming to her face. "Regan…why did he do that to you? And now what's he's doing to us?"

"Hey!!!" someone yelled. Kylee and Impmon looked away to see two figures approaching…and their eyes widened when she saw who it was…

Darius and…a Cyberdramon…

"Kylee Henke?!?" Darius said as he got close enough to her, recognizing her. "What happened to you?"
"I…" she started, but she did not know what to say…and more tears started to come to her eyes as she thought about Regan…
"Hold on…we'll get you out of here. Better get you to a hospital; you really don't look well…" Darius said, approaching her a bit.
"N-No…I'll…I'll be fine…" she replied negatively.
"Kylee…with all those weird digimon and those strange monsters gone, it's only a matter of time before the police will get here, and if they find you here, there's no doubt they're gonna want some answers from you…

Look…I'm not gonna ask what's happen. Keep that for yourself right now, if that's you want…But I don't think the policemen are gonna like it if you say nothing…
So…will you let us help you?" Darius asked.
Kylee remained silent for a while, pondering her options…
"…Okay…" she said a bit weakly.
"All right…and thanks…" Darius replied. "Cyberdramon, let's get them out of here."
The dragon digimon nodded before he gently took both Kylee and Impmon as Darius climbed on the digimon's back, and moments after that, the digimon flew away…

"Regan…we don't want to lose you…
…no one wants to lose you…" Kylee sadly thought as she was carried away.
"Riza…Kari…Lizomon…Please get him back…"

---

The red dragon had been blithely flying above the buildings of the city, sometimes looking down and a bit astonished at that place…
This place really was odd…He had never seen anything like those…
And it appeared it was humans that had created those constructions…
He wondered at how they would have been able to create them as he continued to fly, seeking any recognizable marks in the landscape beyond…

"Ragnarastrasz, stop!" he then heard.
Twisting his head backward, the red dragon saw three flying form that were catching up to him. Those same three winged beings that had apparently helped him fight the black one…

"I don't see why you should follow me! Leave me!" the dragon loudly replied to them as he focused back forward.

But OrahAngewomon wouldn't be deterred. But before she tried to speak again, UltimaRyumon came up to her side. "Dragons are very obstinate Kari, I think that should be an obvious thing. Talking to him about the stuff that he should be dead or anything else like that won't work...

Besides...if we do want to bring back Regan...the only way for that may be to fight Ragnarastrasz..." the dragon digimon said.

OrahAngewomon remained silent as they kept pursuing Ragnarastrasz, who had done nothing yet to avoid them...

"...So? What do we do?" AmaKaisermon asked uncertainly, looking at OrahAngewomon. Even UltimaRyumon seemed to be awaiting the angel digimon's word...

"...Kari?" Gatomon hesitantly asked.
Kari remained silent, within OrahAngewomon, the terrible silence weighing heavily on herself as they kept following Ragnarastrasz. The dragon didn't seem to try to avoid them...but he would surely grow suspicious soon...

"What should I choose?" Kari thought to herself. "Am I the one that's just trying to go after something that's already lost...or is there still a chance?"

"There may be a chance when you are willing to stay true to your heart, child..." an unknown voice suddenly spoke, entering Kari's thoughts...

And she suddenly found herself in the void...Nothing...Save for herself, still glowing of her own Bio-Merge light...

"And...who are you?" Kari hesitantly asked to the void...

A slow and light chuckle was heard, sounding surprisingly gentle and comforting...
It was the voice of a woman...

Kari tried to put up a match to the voice, considering that whoever, or whatever it was, it surely wasn't a digimon or a human being...Something close to Ysera no doubt...
But it wasn't Ysera's voice...

"You should know me well...I am not that much of a stranger to you dear Kari..."

"But...I don't even know who you are...or what you have to do in this..." Kari answered, a bit uncertain.

A low, saddened sigh was heard...

"I know you well, dear child...just as I know Regan well...Yes...I am well aware of the most recent turn of events regarding his fate...I felt it deep in my own heart...
And I too cry for him...just as you cry for him...in your heart..."

Kari remained silent...before new tears started to flow from her eyes... "I-Is it...Is it right for me t-that I...that I don't want him to be gone?" she started to ask, her voice shaky and troubled by her own sadness...

"Yes...it is...It is okay to cry Kari..."

Kari remained hesitant for a while...before she dropped on her knees, crying, her hands held to her face...

For a moment, nothing but the cries and sobs of Kari were heard in the void...The voice did not sought to interrupt...its own silence undersanding...

Then, finally...Kari started to feel warmth...and light...

As she started to wipe out her tears...she saw a great source of pure red light in front of her, illuminating the emptiness...

...And standing right in front of Kari was the silhouette of a tall and probably beautiful woman with long hairs...as the silhouette seemed to be made of the same light that was spreading out...
...or rather...she was that light...she was that warmth...

The silhouette kneeled down closer to Kari... "It is okay to cry for him..." it 'spoke'...

"But..." Kari hesitated, looking at the female figure. "Is it right for me to try to go after Regan? Isn't he truly lost?"

The female figure remained silent for a moment...before it seemed to look a bit away. "That is something I am afraid you need to discover on your own..."

"But..." The figure added before Kari could reply some sort of disapproving comment as Kari clearly felt only more disappointed by those words. "The true answer to that question of yours may lay in yourself, Kari Kamiya...Child of Light...

If your heart is truly strong...then you will know...

Good luck child...

Ragnarastrasz will not be an easy battle...nor will be the conflict of the minds, hearts and souls...

But you may be one of those few who could accomplish this miracle..."

And suddenly Kari found herself back within OrahAngewomon. It's as if barely a few seconds had just passed out.

"So Kari?" UltimaRyumon asked.

Kari gritted her teeth; closing her eyes...She knew the others were waiting her order...
She was the leader now...

"Forgive me Regan...I hope I won't be doing a mistake..." Kari thought...Then she yelled.

"Celestial Strike!"

Blasts and beams of holy power were unleashed at the red dragon, just as he had started to look behind him to see if those three were still following him.

Three of those beams struck the dragon, causing him to swerve before he dove down, evading the rest of the attack.

That action quickly caused the other two winged being, the armoured dragon and the large winged one to engage pursuit, before being followed by the angel one.
It was clear they were hesitating about something...but now that the attack had been launched, they didn't want to hesitate anymore...

So be it Ragnarastrasz though before he quickly dived down, into the city, beating on his large wings before he spun on himself as he turned, narrowly striking a skyscraper with his tail.

"We have to bring him above the city! There's no way we'll be able to attack him if he stays so low!" UltimaRyumon said as they pursued the dragon who kept snaking around the buildings.
"But how are we gonna do that?" AmaKaisermon asked. "If we try attacking now, we might hit a building instead! Or worse, we could cause Ragnarastrasz to crash in one of them instead!"

"That's why we have to get in close, and quickly!" UltimaRyumon replied as be beat harder on his own wings, pushing ahead.

As he started to approach, Ragnarastrasz suddenly beat his wings back, spinning in the air as he then faced the digimon for a split-second.
And during that moment, he unleashed a burst of flames right on them.

"Heaven Shield!" OrahAngewomon shouted, summoning out her pink energy shield to block out the flame blast. "You two hurry and get on him! We got to bring him back in the air before he could hit anything around instead!"

AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon nodded as they looked toward Ragnarastrasz who had quickly speeded up ahead after he had launched his fireball at the digimon.

Despite the presence of so many buildings around, the dragon somehow managed not to hit any of them as he kept snaking between them with ease and skill. It reminded Ragnarastrasz so much about old games that any dragons would play when they were young. The moment they could fly, they didn't hesitated to use their wings and fly around, dart in the mountains and their peaks, flying around the jagged edges...

Ironic that despite the unusual construction type of those buildings, it still brought up some familiarities to the dragon...
But then a headache struck, the behemoth's vision blurred for a moment, as something else came in his mind.
He saw a glimpse of a child...

Then his focus returned to normal...right as he was going to crash right into one of those buildings...
With enormous efforts, Ragnarastrasz pushed hard on his wings, throwing his enormous mass upward in the air, flying straight up as his stomach nearly scraped the windows of the building...

He would need to get back low soon after that, but momentum was against him right now...
Those three flying beings clearly seemed intent on keeping him high in the air to attack him, but the red dragon didn't so desire to let them play their games...

But what caused him to lose his focus like that for a second. Was one of them skilled in any sorcery?

Just as the dragon managed to evade the building as he flew right back above it, he prepared to quickly dive down into the 'forest' of buildings again...

...but suddenly an enormous blast of wind struck him, sending him tumbling upward...

"Good job AmaKaisermon! Keep hitting him like that and he won't be able to go down!" UltimaRyumon said.

"Heaven's Charm!" shouted OrahAngewomon, sending out a pink wave of energy flying from beneath the dragon, striking it to keep it aloft. The dragon grunted from the pain.

Those strange flying beings were quickly becoming a real nuisance now...
Why was it that made them so intended to attack him when he helped them in destroying the black dragon earlier?

Ragnarastrasz reared his head...

"Watch out! He's going to breathe out fire!" UltimaRyumon warned out.

True enough as Ragnarastrasz unleashed a series of fireballs toward the three digimon as he started to veer off to return downward again.

UltimaRyumon and the other started to avoid the fireballs, but as soon as they started to near them. The fireballs exploded instead, releasing a huge mass of flames, forcing the digimon on the defensive.

With that, Ragnarastrasz knew they would have little chance to get back on him while he would take cover in the buildings again...

But his thoughts were cut off when he received a large punch in the face, causing him to be hurled upward...compliments of UltimaRyumon.

UltimaRyumon's body looked as if he had gone through a heavy mass of flames...yet even despite the apparent burns, the dragon knight digimon kept charging as if nothing happened.

Ragnarastrasz realized that this dragon being had charged right into the flames, even despite the fact that they would have harmed him!

"Enough of this! If you keep insisting, then I will have no choice but to destroy you!" Ragnarastrasz warned out to the three digimon.

"We're ready to take the risk!" AmaKaisermon replied out.

Risk? Risk for what?
Had those beings become insane or what?
The dragon quickly started to turn away again, hoping to force them into another chase!

"Stop!" OrahAngewomon yelled out.

And just as Ragnarastrasz had started to fly away, a blast of light exploded right in front of the dragon...before it opened wide into a large portal...

The blast of light blinded the red dragon as he went confused, and flew straight into the portal.

"No! He escaped!" AmaKaisermon said.
"I don't think so..." UltimaRyumon replied.
"Huh? You'd mean..." OrahAngewomon asked.

"That someone else opened the portal right in Ragnarastrasz's way...And I think there's only one person that could have done that..."

"Krasus..." OrahAngewomon muttered.
"We have to go after Ragnarastrasz still!" AmaKaisermon added.. "Maybe Krasus made this portal so we'd go to a place where we can fight the dragon without any problems!"
"That's what he'd be thinking, surely." UltimaRyumon replied before he went straight into the portal, and was soon followe by AmaKaisermon and OrahAngewomon...before the portal closed behind them...as Krasus stood upon the top of one of the skyscrapers, gazing at the location of the portal before he vanished as well...

---

Ragnarastrasz had just no idea of what just happened. A moment earlier he was in that human city then a portal opened right in front of him. Suprised, he had no chance to evade it...
And now he found himself in a large canyon field of stones and rocks, with many place forming small mountains...

He did not knew what caused that portal to be opened, but maybe it could help him...
Since these three beings were still insistent in fighting him, they would surely come through the portal...
And Ragnarastrasz would be ready for them this time...
This time, he'll make his stand...to take them out...

The three digimon quickly flew out of the portal which closed behind them.

"There isn't really a 'run back option' now." UltimaRyumon stated.
"Doesn't matter." OrahAngewomon said. "That way Ragnarastrasz can't flee as well."
"Well...maybe he's got a different plan now..." AmaKaisermon said, looking around the canyons, but seeing no traces of the dragon.
"He knows he's cornered. He'll fight now...surely to the death..." UltimaRyumon said. Looking around darkly, he spoke again. "He's close...I can feel it..."
"You're sure about that?" OrahAngewomon asked as she drew near to the other two digimon.
"Yeah." The dragon knight replied. "I don't need any sorts of connection to Regan to even know that. He's close. I don't think it's his style to just run away. He'll fight."
"Only one problem. Where is he?" AmaKaisermon asked.
A deafening roar thundered right above them...as the large form of the red dragon fell upon them, having leapt from behind a hiding position behind one of the mountains. The enormous behemoth fell upon the trio, using his tail to strike UltimaRyumon with enormous force, sending him flying down, crashing in the flank of a mountain. AmaKaisermon didn't got lucky either as he was battered down by Ragnarastrasz's front paws, sending him crashing down in the canyon floors.

Which left only one still flying target for the dragon : OrahAngewomon.

The angel digimon quickly started to point her left hand at the dragon, but he quickly closed up the distance between them, forcing Orah to fly away just as Ragnarastrasz's maw came snapping the air where the angel was just a few moments ago.

OrahAngewomon quickly pulled back to get another firing position, but unfortunately, Ragnarastrasz quickly sped up again, nearing the angel digimon before slashing out at her, forcing her to evade once again, and go on the move.

"Ugh..." UltimaRyumon started to pull himself out of the mountain's flank, his mouth twisted into a frown as he looked upward, seeing the rather sinister aerial 'ballet' between the dragon and the digimon. Seeing how OrahAngewomon had to constantly move as she tried to get a firing opportunity, the dragon knight digimon frowned.

Seeing how Ragnarastrasz had just first attack made perfect sense now...The dragon wanted to put out the two digimon who were really skilled in melee fighting, at least as long as possible, before dealing out with the only digimon that wasn't really specialized in melee combat...

"Orah! Ragnarastrasz knows you're not good in close combat situations! That's why he went for us first! Try fighting at close range otherwise you won't be able to get any chances!" UltimaRyumon yelled.

In answer, as OrahAngewomon looked toward the dragon knight, Ragnarastrasz also turned his head at the digimon before breathing out a fireball on the mountain's flank, although he aimed at a position above UltimaRyumon.

The fireball exploded, detaching large portions of rocks that fell down on UltimaRyumon.

"Ultima!" OrahAngewomon yelled, before she quickly aimed out her right hand straight at Ragnarastrasz. A blast of white light poured out of her hand, striking the dragon straight in the face.

The dragon jerked before his attention returned straight on the angel...now making a very menacing growl...and showing his many teeth...

Despite the intimidating sight, Orah kept a determined expression, her hands glowing with holy energy.

A brief blast of energy exploded from the spot where UltimaRyumon had been buried.
"It'll take more to keep an old warrior down..." he muttered, more to himself...before looking upward as now Ragnarastrasz kept pursuing Orah who now kept shooting brief bursts of light at the dragon whenever she could.
His thoughts were briefly interrupted when a loose rock fell straight on his head, making the dragon knight cringe a bit.
"You'll be owing us a big one when it's all over Regan..." UltimaRyumon said before he took off to the skies.

Ragnarastrasz kept trying to snap OrahAngewomon in two with his maw, but just kept him rewarded with blasts of lights on his long face. Unfortunately for the digimon, the dragon's scales were easily protecting him from those light attacks.

"He's right...that's why Ragnarastrasz went straight for the other two first...because he knew I wasn't a good at close range..." Kari thought.
"Just because we might seemingly not be good at close range doesn't mean we might not be good at all Kari. Hell, I can do a lot in close range as Gatomon and Magnadramon, and I was able to deal out a good number on Lady Devimon too." Gatomon answered back.
Kari smiled a bit more confidently. "You're right Gatomon. If normal ways might not work, I guess we just have to improvise. I'm pretty sure both Lizomon and Regan would say it that way."
"Good then! Shall we?" Gatomon asked on a sneakier tone.
"Of course!!!" almost happily.

As Ragnarastrasz lunged for another maw strike, OrahAngewomon suddenly rushed at him, flying right above the dragon's maw which opened before wide, yet the angel was able to fly above it before flying down straight on the dragon's head.

Realising what the angel would do, Ragnarastrasz started up a manuver...
But Orah struck first. With a punch glowing with holy energy, she brought it down straight on the behemoth's head, who quickly winced from the strike, as much as it did brought up some pain in Orah's hand.
Ragnarastrasz however quickly reared up its head, obviously done to take off the digimon from his head. The digimon fell down yes, but she let herself drop to go to the eye level of the dragon, now staring into one of its golden eyes...
And after a full spin on herself, OrahAngewomon brought up a fully holy enhanced roundhouse kick right into the dragon's side of its head. That action clearly irritated the red dragon who started to pull back instead, its maw opened for a different kind of attack, just as Orah pulled back to...

...but instead, two other attacks came out.
"Sky Spinning Lance!"
"Strato Force!"

AmaKaisermon's charge and UltimaRyumon's energy ball struck right in the stomach of the behemoth, causing it to roar in pain as it pulled back more, trying to keep aloft.
That was the opportunity Kari needed.

"Heaven's Charm!" she first yelled before summoning a wave of golden energy above her head which spread out into many particles of energy which started to fall down...but when they struck out the red dragon, he became partly stunned by the power.
As an energy gateway opened right above OrahAngewomon, both AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon quickly realized what to do.
"Tempest Rend!"
"Strato Force!"

With that, they launched their attacks straight into the angel's portal which then flowed down on her...

Pointing her left arm at the dragon, the wings of the angel digimon's glove extended, taking the shape of a bow before the angel brought up a golden energy arrow with her right hand, pulling the arrow on her arm-bow.

"Regan...this is from us...Because we're still hoping you could hear us..." OrahAngewomon muttered.

"Destiny Arrow!" she yelled before releasing her hold on her bow, launching the golden arrow which expanded in greater size as it neared its target.

The dragon started to try to evade, but once again, the image of a boy flooded his mind, causing him to freeze in the air.

And soon after that, the arrow went straight through him...
And when it happened, he saw how the boy looked like...
It couldn't be...

OrahAngewomon stood a bit uncertain. True, her arrow had gone straight through the dragon, which was a surprising fact...but it didn't looked like the arrow had done any holes. It as if the dragon hadn't been harmed, but he was floating there in the air, in some sort of state of shock...

"Did you got him?" AmaKasiermon asked as he flew closer to OrahAngewomon, followed by UltimaRyumon.

"Yeah...I think I did...but something isn't right..."

Much farther, farther away from the battle, the silhouette of Krasus appeared on the edge of the canyons, standing immobile as it watched...

In Ragnarastrasz's mind, things weren't exactly going easily...
The dragon wanted to get the boy off his mind, off of his current subjects, but it kept remaining, insisting. He couldn't cease thinking of him...and it was starting to make him angered...

He snapped, his gaze focused straight upon those who had surely done this to him : The three digimon.
Somehow, he now knew what kind of beings they were, and their names...
UltimaRyumon was the dragon knight, AmaKaisermon was the other one with great wings and a white sword while the angelic female digimon was OrahAngewomon...
For some reason...he felt some sort of...interest toward her...there seemed to be a small part of him that was saddened at her...

NO! He didn't knew what that 'angel' had done on him, but she had surely tried to do some sort of spell to affect his mind! He wouldn't fall for it! He would not!

Ragnarastrasz unleashed a powerful roar of anger as his eyes fell straight on the digimon.

"It didn't worked...Move!" UltimaRyumon yelled as Ragnarastrasz breathed out a large stream of flame, causing the three digimon to fly off in different directions...

The angered behemoth flew straight into their midst, using his tail as a battering ram to spread them further as he launched more bursts of flames to separate the three digimon.

Then his eyes fell on OrahAngewomon. The moment he saw her, there was no doubt she saw him, and that she knew he would go at her.

"Hey Ragnarastrasz! Why don't you take on someone of your size eh?!?" a huge voice roared.

Ragnarastrasz turned to his left...only to see a large metallic form collide straight into him, sending him spinning in the air.
"Strato Cannons!" the enemy yelled, shooting out energy blasts that hammered hard on his scaled hide, making his grunt from the attacks.
Eyes cleared, Ragnarastrasz eyed the one that just attacked him...a large dragon...but made of metal...

Somehow, he knew his name was...MetalRyumon...Another form that UltimaRyumon could take.

MetalRyumon unleashed a defiant roar, to which Ragnarastrasz replied with a mighter roar of his own. MetalRyumon only added up to it, letting out an even stronger roar, as Ragnarastrasz followed up with an even stronger one.

The two dragons, metal and flesh glared at each other, golden eyes fixed upon the glowing blue ones...

And both rammed straight into each other, clawing and biting at the other.

"Did UltimaRyumon de-digivolved?" AmaKaisermon asked.
"Obviously yes. He probably did that to face up Ragnarastrasz with a bigger size..." OrahAngewomon replied as she joined up closer to her Bio-Merged friend. "But at least it gives us another attack opportunity."

"Right! Tempest Rend!"
"Destiny Arrow!"

And both digimon unleashed their attacks at Ragnarastrasz's back, hitting him squared as he roared in pain. MetalRyumon quickly took advantage to sink his maw right into the collarbone of the red dragon, which only made Ragarastrasz roar even more.
But as he bit, he felt something odd...

His thoughts however were suddenly cleared out as Ragnarastrasz unleashed a powerful red blast of light from his body, which threw MetalRyumon backward and tumbling in the air.

But as he tumbled, he caught sight of Ragnarastrasz who was turning to face the other two digimon...but one second was just enough...to make a lock on...

"Inferno Cyclone Missles!" he roared, still spinning before he unleashed volleys of missiles in several directions...until they all righted themselves and went straight for their target...Ragnarastrasz.

The red dragon roared as the missiles exploded on his back. Looking back and forth, he eyed two Bio-Merged before looking at MetalRyumon. The metal dragon replied by opening several areas on his body, revealing out several cannons of various sizes on various parts of his body, finishing with revealing out one last cannon by opening his mouth.

Ragnarastrasz dived down just as MetalRyumon opened fire. The other two digimon also moved away, attempting to pursue the red dragon while evading the blasts from their digimon comrade.

Ragnarastrasz kept himself low as the blast kept pursuing him before regaining altitude before he retaliated with launched a wide flame breath on his attacker. MetalRyumon threw his wings back, moving his own position to evade the flames as he continued firing.

Ragnarastrasz now veered toward MetalRyumon, firing out bursts of flames, just as his opponent also unleashed short bursts of his cannons while charging at the red dragon.

The two neared each other...before there was a flash of light. Ragnarastrasz blinked as he swatted his paws toward MetalRyumon's head...only to find nothing...except UltimaRyumon who was standing a little further back in the air where MetalRyumon had been...with one hand raised and a large Strato Force ready to be thrown.

The digimon threw his energy ball straight on his target, causing it to explode on the dragon who roared out in pain before swatting away at the dragon knight who quickly evaded before flying away.

"Man, your moves were crazy back then!" AmaKaisermon said as he and OrahAngewomon neared him. "How did you managed to do that?"
"And how did you just digivolved again?" OrahAngewomon asked.
"Easy." UltimaRyumon replied. "De-digivolving was the easy part, then I just kept trying to keep him busy for a while, and when he neared me, I digivolved again to Mega."
"But how could you do it if-" Orah started.
"Regan's digivice is still there. He is still there...I could feel it. That's what made me digivolve again. I realized it when I bit Ragnarastrasz on his neck.
His body...isn't...real...somehow..." UltimaRyumon said, a bit troubled.
"Isn't real?" AmaKaisermon asked.
"It didn't really seemed like it was made of flesh...but it seemed similar...yet more like if it was made more of energy..." the dragon knight explained. "I also felt out Regan's power inside him again...and the digivice too..."
"So he's not gone...He's still there..." OrahAngewomon mettered.
"You think Regan's fighting inside him?" AmaKaisermon asked, hopeful.
"No..." UltimaRyumon answered darkly. "Regan had made the choice to sacrifice himself to let Ragnarastrasz return. He must still be within Ragnarastrasz, but he might not even be conscious..."
"So, what do we do then?" Ama asked.
"We have to open Ragnarastrasz to the truth..." OrahAngewomon answered.
"Earlier when you struck him, we all noticed he seemed to be in pain...and I even noticed he seemed confused for a while...I think our attacks are causing him to relieve memories of Regan...and he's probably thinking we're trying to affect his mind somehow, which explains why he's getting even angrier." UltimaRyumon said.
"And how can you know all that?!?" AmaKaisermon asked, rather surprised.
"Just a hunch. And lots of experience too." UltimaRyumon replied.
"He's coming! Watch out!" OrahAngewomon shouted.

Ragnarastrasz once again charged on them, forcing the digimon to spread out again.

As they did, the dragon focused on Orah again.

"Hey Ragna! Over here! Omni Sword!" AmaKaisermon yelled as he fell down upon Ragnarastrasz, bringing down his sword as well, striking the behemoth hard as he went spinning down.

And just as it happened, something flashed in the dragon's mind...
He saw a vision of AmaKaisermon bringing down his sword on an ugly aquatic digimon called Dragomon...And along with AmaKaisermon, there was another digimon who had joined his blade to help...Some dragon knight, just like UltimaRyumon...

No...it was UltimaRyumon...called AtmaRyumon in that form...Only he wasn't just more evolved...he was...

NO! That was yet one of their tricks again!!!

The red dragon caught itself in the air, quickly regaining stability before flying upward again, going for AmaKaisermon this time. He swallowed a large amount of air before spitting out a very large fireball at his target, who moved away with great speed...
The dragon's eyes narrowed as he smiled within...

The fireball exploded, sending out several smaller one that rushed like meteors straight on AmaKaisermon. Surprised, he was hit out by the whole burst, spinning wildly in the air.

As he tried to regain stability, AmaKaisermon saw the large maw of Ragnarastrasz getting closer...

"Celestial Strike!" only to see it flinch away, the dragon's trajectory going off as several holy blasts of energy went striking the side of its head.
Instead however, AmaKaisermon was hit by one of the dragon's wings instead, sending him spinning away way off.

That was really getting dizzy now...

UltimaRyumon quickly dropped down upon one of the mountains, then stabbed his sword in the ground.
With a roar, a large aura of power exploded around him, producing multi-colored flames around him. He then aimed his mouth and hands straight at Ragnarastrasz who was still trying to regain stability.

"Ultima Beam!!!" the digimon shouted, sending out beams from his hands and opened mouth which all combined together, forming a large beam which went straight for Ragnarastrasz...and exploded on him...

The dragon went down, in smoke, and crashed on the top of another mountain.

"Did we do it?!?" OrahAngewomon wondered as she saw Ragnarastrasz brought down. She also saw out of the corner of her vision UltimaRyumon going back to the air as AmaKaisermon had finally stabilized in the air.

Krasus watched, aware that right now, none of the fighters were actually capable of perceiving his presence.
"No...not yet..." he muttered.

---

Ragnarastrasz's whole body ached as his head kept spinning; he shook his head briefly, in complete confusion.

As he did, something else flashed in his mind again...
He saw the boy...with a girl...the girl had her hairs rather short, with a bang in front kept from falling in her face thanks to some hairpin...
The two were dancing...
It was a pleasant memory he had from...

NO! NO! AND NO!!! This couldn't be his memories! Whatever these digimon tried to do to his mind, they would never succeed! He was a...DRAGON!!!

And with those thoughts, his whole body seemed renewed of strength again as Ragnarastrasz raised up and unleashed a powerful roar.

"Don't tell me he's still not down?!?" AmaKaisermon said, in shock.

The dragon raised himself from the crashed peak and glared hard at the digimon.

He leapt from the air, going straight for them.

---

As Krasus saw Ragnarastrasz that seemed partly immobile for a while, he had thrust his mind forward, sending it plunging into the mind of the dragon...
And the memories the dragon just experienced...the wizard saw them too.
As he watched, Krasus also saw and felt the other memories the dragon had experienced.
He knew the time had come.

And just as the dragon had started to rise up, beginning his roar, Krasus had raised a hand, starting to make strange gestures with it. As he did, he left a trail of blue energy with it...as he seemed to be writing something odd in the empty air in front of him...

And as he saw the dragon leap back in the air, going for the three digimon, Krasus paused as he had finished his odd writing.

And for a moment, he just remained there before speaking.

"No Kari. This time...I will act too." He said.

He then pushed on the glowing writing as he uttered a spell...

---

The three digimon knew they had to devise a new way to fight Ragnarastrasz as the dragon neared them.

But the attack never came. In mid-air, Ragnarastrasz froze...and screamed.
He unleashed such terrible screams of pains that it made the digimon react in pure shock...
And what was just as seemingly impossible too is that they saw Ragnarastrasz's whole body ripple as if he had been a body of water in which a stone had been thrown, the waves of the stone rippling out on the surface of the water.

And it was clearly a miracle that he had also managed to stay aloft as the rippling ceased and the dragon stopped screaming as he panted hard, looking completely aghast...

As the pain had surged into him...tons and tons of memories had suddenly surged into his mind and body, causing things he could barely imagine. He could barely understand it all as he saw countless of visions and memories, always seeing the boy in his mind. He couldn't shake it off. It was so persistent...and painful as he had tried to shake it off...

"What...what have you done to me?!?" Ragnarastrasz rasped, having a near maddened look as he glared straight at the three digimon.

"Huh?" The digimon were clearly rather confused about what had just happened. They were completely unsure what had just befallen the dragon right now.

"You..." the dragon spoke again, his gazed fixed on OrahAngewomon. "You're the one who did this to me!"

"I...I didn't do anything!" OrahAngewomon replied, as confused as the others.

"LIES!" the dragon roared. And with that, he rushed straight for her, roaring in pure fury. Only fury was visible in his gaze...Nothing else.

"Strato Force!"
"Tempest Rend!"

Both the other two digimon shot at Ragnarastrasz, but the dragon didn't even evaded. He took the attacks head-on, barely flinching as he kept rushing for what he believe was the source of this sorcery.

As he neared, both AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon put themselves in front of a scared and confused OrahAngewomon, bringing their sword before them.

Ragnarastrasz barged right through them, using his large claws to throw them aside.
At that moment, OrahAngewomon snapped from her fear, and moved away.

Both UltimaRyumon and AmaKaisermon tumbled in the air, unable to help.

Ragnarastrasz attacked with clear fury as he kept awfully close to OrahAngewomon, who, despite her best efforts, was unable to fly fast enough to distance the enraged behemoth.

As AmaKaisermon kept falling down into the bottoms of the canyons, UltimaRyumon struck another mountain flank, tumbling down from it as he too fell down, but he managed to briefly right himself...and stabbed the flank of the mountain with his sword. He slid down from several meters again before he was finally brought to a halt.

"Close call..." he muttered as he looked around. A few more meters and he would have been falling in the air again.

Righting himself up on the flank, UltimaRyumon looked upward, seeing Ragnarastrasz who pursued OrahAngewomon with an insane persistence.

UltimaRyumon started to growl. "Why Kari? I'm the one that has been with you for a long time Regan. We might not have always been on the best of terms with my attitude, but I do care for you as a friend! You shouldn't ignore me and leave Kari to be your only target!"

UltimaRyumon roared, and with that, a fiersome aura of multi-colored flames exploded around him, spreading out wide around him.

His eyes lost their red color as they filled with the same flames.

And with another roar, still bursting in flames, the dragon knight rushed straight into the air, straight for Ragnarastrasz.

The dragon was nearly upon her. Orah could easily feel the dragon's breath on her neck as he kept snapping and roaring at her.

And just nearly out of nowhere, UltimaRyumon came, blazing in flames of all colors...before he delivered the most powerful and surprising punch OrahAngewomon had ever seen.

The punch landed straight on Ragnarastrasz's side of his face...and sent him flying away like a meteor...before he crashed right into a mountain...burying into one flank before he exited out from the other side of the mountain...and ended his crash in the mountain behind.

"UltimaRyumon..." OrahAngewomon muttered. She was both awed and afraid of the powerful display the dragon knight had shown. And still, he was showing an expression that made both Kari and Gatomon shiver inside. He definitively looked in rage, yet with such a terrifying control as he seemed to use his rage like a weapon to enhance his power...

It didn't took long before a really powerful roar shook the entire canyon as Ragnarastrasz rocketed back into the air, now blazing in flames instead.

UltimaRyumon roared before he went for the other dragon, and the two collided into each other, sending the other back. As they did however, they quickly flew once again, seeing to ram the other again.

They looked like firey meteors. A small one of many colors against a large of pure red and flames...
They kept hitting each other with immense fury.

"Can't you see me Regan?!? Can't you feel my pain, my rage?!? I'm there for you, as everyone is!!!" UltimaRyumon roared at his opponent.
"Silence! I know nothing of what you speak small dragon! I am Ragnarastrasz of the Red Flight! I will not fall to your schemes! I fell once, and I will not do so ever again!!!" the other roared as they struggled against each other, shaking the air around them.

"How can he do that?" Kari wondered, seemingly afraid.
"I have no idea...Just seeing it makes me shiver up to my whiskers..." Gatomon replied.

Even down on the ground, AmaKaisermon stood like a statue, watching with awe and fear the battle of the two dragons.

As for Krasus, he might have been a statue too...as he watched with his usual neutral expression...only with even more narrowed eyes...

"I've had enough!!!" Ragnarastrasz roared. "Take this!"
He unleashed a large red shockwave at UltimaRyumon, throwing him back in the air.
But instead of finishing his opponent, Ragnarastrasz turned at someone else...

OrahAngewomon.

He rushed at her with a deafening roar...however UltimaRyumon was hot on his heels.
"You won't get her!!!" he roared.
Ragnarastrasz ignored him, still going for OrahAngewomon who just remained frozen in fear.
At the last moment, she summoned up her 'Heaven's Shield', but it might have been empty air...for Ragnarastrasz shattered right through it, catching OrahAngewomon in the process...
"No!!!" UltimaRyumon yelled. With one last roar, he unleashed the entire aura he had into a large Strato Force and hurled it straight at the dragon.

So obsessed with his target Ragnarastrasz was that he didn't noticed the enormous Strato Force...until it exploded on him.

With a roar, Ragnarastrasz fell down from the skies...yet still holding OrahAngewomon in his paw.

"Let me go! You'll kill us if you just fall!" she shouted.
"You won't escape me this time..." the dragon muttered instead.

Both AmaKaisermon and UltimaRyumon watched as t he dragon plummeted from the skies...and crashed in the canyons with a loud thud which resonated in the canyons. Both rushed straight for the crash area...

As they arrived...they saw a battered Ragnarastrasz...standing on his four legs. He seemed content...even triumphant...as he pinned an even more battered OrahAngewomon down.

"Stand down you two...or she will perish." The dragon said as he glared at the two digimon.

Uncertain, the two knights lowered their swords.

Ragnarastrasz grinned, satisfied.

"Why do you keep doing this?" asked a weakened OrahAngewomon.
"I will not fall prey to your games, sorceress!" Ragnarastrasz replied loudly, his snout coming close to the downed angel. "I will not fall prey to those fabricated memories!"
"This isn't a game Ragnarastrasz...Those memories are real...and they're a part of you...of what you should be..."
"Lies! I am no human! I am certainly not this so-called 'Regan' as you keep repeating. I am Ragnarastrasz! I am a red dragon!" he replied loudly, opening his wings and displaying out a proud stature.
"You look more like a black dragon to me than a red right now Ragnarastrasz..." OrahAngewomon said.
Ragnarastrasz blinked. He threw his maw down at the angel again.
"And what would you know of the blacks in any case?"
"That the reds and blacks are enemies of each other...The red...They are protectors, guardians even...of Life...
The blacks were noble...but they don't protect anymore...They care only for themselves.
The reds would be understanding the importance of mortals...They wouldn't be only caring for their sorry hides like you right now!"

Ragnarastrasz started to look dumbfounded. He clearly didn't expected the angel to actually know those things...

"Is this real what she's saying?" AmaKaisermon asked at UltimaRyumon.
"It is. The reds are the guardians of Life...And Regan is connected to them...as the Child of Life...But he's more connected to what they protect rather than the dragons themselves...like all dragons should be in fact..."
"So...do you mean that Regan was a dragon all along?!?" AmaKaisermon asked, shocked.
"No...it's a lot more complicated than that." UltimaRyumon replied darkly.

"Look at yourself Ragnarastrasz! At what you're doing! You're attacking innocent humans who only want to help their friend...because he didn't deserved what happened to him!!!"
"And what would this even have to do with me in the first place, mortal?" Ragnarastrasz said with a loud growl. Yes, he now realized what these digimon were...Two of them at least. One was a normal digimon...although holding a great power within...The other two were in fact the willing union of a digimon and a human friend...or partner as they would say...

"You shouldn't be alive anymore Ragnarastrasz! You should be dead, just like Ragnarok has said earlier! You died long ago! Don't you remember that?!?"
"What?!? He died?!?" AmaKaisermon said.
Ragnarastrasz remained silent for a while...not gazing at the angel... "I do remember...I do remember I died...But if I am alive once again by some unknown miracle, I do not want to throw that new life away.
Life is an important gift mortal, and it is something you should understand."
"Then can you understand that as long as you live you're destroying an innocent?!?" OrahAngewomon pleaded.
"An innocent?!? How?" Ragnarastrasz replied.
"Can't you understand?!? You would surely know! You can surely feel him inside you!" OrahAngewomon said. "If you just won't feel him...then I'll help you see him!" she added...before she started to glow of a white light...which exploded, causing everyone else to shield their eyes...

---
Kari once again found herself in that same 'darkness'...Although this time she was dressed as what she would normally look like. Not when she would be 'naked' in Bio-Merge...
But this time...she knew where she was...
Within Ragnarastrasz...
She looked around, looking for what she needed to find...If she did, he would surely understand-
There! She felt it faintly, but it was there!
She ran in that direction before stopping. It was now right in front of him...
Hesitantly, she reached out...
And a burst of red light poured out, causing her to fall back on the 'ground'.
She shielded her eyes for a moment before finally be able to see...and gasped at what she saw...
The Crest of Life. She saw the symbol floating right in front of her, at a rather large size...
And hung on it, like on a cross...was Regan...although he barely looked visible now...almost a ghost...

"Regan!!!" she said.
But before she could reach out to him, someone else spoke.
"So...this is him?"
She looked behind her to see...another Regan...
But he was different. He had a more serious, older look in his eyes...and he had pointed ears, just like Krasus. His clothes weren't entirely the same either. They were the same colors...but they were of a medieval-aged style instead...
But Kari knew it was Ragnarastrasz.

"This is Regan?" the 'older' Regan said.
Kari stood up, and looked straight at the other Regan. "Yes, it's him. Regan Astrasz."
"Ironic...Odd that he uses such a similar name..."
"So you do remember?"
"Yes...somewhat..." the other Regan said, his hands in his pockets. "I can remember those memories as if they had been mine...and yet they are not...It's just so confusing and disturbing at the same time...just as it makes all the difference...
I understand...and yet I don't..."
Suddenly, images flashed everywhere around them, images that were clearly various moments of Regan's memories, from his birth to childhood...to the present...

"It appears that you are important in his heart apparently..." the other Regan spoke.
Instantly, all the images changed, turning into moments that clearly looked like events in the Digital World...mainly with Regan and Kari as the main focus...
"I know..." Kari said a bit hesitantly as she saw Ragnarastrasz stop the flash of memories to fix upon one of them...One she dreadfully knew about...

She saw herself...dying...And a very weakened and wounded Regan was holding her hand...

"Kari! Don't die! We still need you...I...need you..." said a disembodied voice echoing everywhere...Regan's voice.

Kari saw herself smile weakly at the panicked and worried Regan.
"I know...I needed you too...why hadn't I noticed it before? Perhaps that without you...I might have not come that far...Thank you Regan..." the Kari in the memories said. Seeing herself like that, dreadfully remembering that day...made Kari shiver...tears slowly coming at the edge of her ears.

"No, Kari! Please stay! It'll...It'll be alrigh-" the voice of Regan said in the memories, but it got interrupted...by Kari.

"Regan...please take care of the other Digidestined...go help them, and save the others...and the Digital World...

You're a Digidestined...just like me...as great as me...

I've just done what I had to do...that's all..." The memory Kari said again...and her eyes closed...passing out, her strength drained.

The memory Regan screamed.
"N...N...No...i-it can't...be...KAARRRIIIIIIIIII!!!"
He kept screaming after that, in pain and sadness...
But then he suddenly rose...as if he had never been harmed. He looked straight at the digimon that had killed Kari...The dragon Deva Majiramon.

"You...you...
MONSTER!!!" Regan screamed at Majiramon. But his last word came out darker...as the eyes of Regan turned red and pupiless...

Then Regan started to utter out dark words of unknown origin and power...
A tag with a red crest around Regan's neck started to emit sparks of red electricity...
...And a large dragon made of flames and blood poured itself out of the ground behind Regan...

"And that is how that beast you called Ragnarok resurfaced then..." the other Regan commented as he watched the memories.
Kari could barely hold it as she saw those memories...Yet...she was still looking...

The memory Regan barked out a single alien word, and the flame beast unleashed out a large breath of flames at Majiramon. Eyes wide in fear, the digimon waved before engulfing itself in flames...and vanished right before the ground where he stood was baked in dark flames...

The memory Regan kept remaining immobile...his face in pure rage...until his fist shook...and the flame dragon suddenly screamed before exploding.
At that moment, the memory Regan fell on his knees, looking around uncertainly.
"Huh? What happened? Where is the Deva?!?" the memory Regan muttered to itself, worried. He looked at the memory Kari again before taking her hand...sensing her heart pulse was fading fast...

"No...Kari...why do you have to die?!?" the memory Regan said before yelling "Somebody please help meeeeeeeeeee!!!!!"

No one answered as Regan looked down, defeated, the rain starting...

Then...a golden glow appeared before the memory Regan and Kari...
And as Regan looked at that glow, he gasped at what was within...
Before him stood...Ragnarastrasz.

The 'human Ragnarastrasz' only frowned a bit as he saw himself, still watching the memories...

The memory Ragnarastrasz stared at Regan and Kari for a while...before fixing its gaze on Regan...and his eyes glowed golden...before Regan's eyes glowed as well, becoming empty of expression...
Regan put a hand on his chest just as he put the other one on Kari's...then closed his eyes...
And a gentle red glow spread out from Regan to Kari, enveloping them both...
And then new wounds appeared out on Regan's body...
Ragnarastrasz then vanished, leaving the two...as Regan kept having new wounds...and then Kari's chest started to rise slowly...and fall again...
Regan was giving his own life force to heal and save Kari...
Then Regan screamed, looking in the air...before he collapsed on the concrete, bleeding...
Moments later, Majiramon came walking in the area, looking at the two Digidestined...

"Well...seems I've killed two birds with one stone...and this makes less troubles for the Devas...This is really a good day...washed in the blood of two dying Digidestineds..." the Deva said, smiling darkly.

"May you go in whatever afterlife there is for you humans..." he added before vanishing...

And the memories turned black after that...and the real Kari collapsed on her knees, tears in her eyes.

"Why did you showed me that?!?" she said, looking at the 'human' Ragnarastrasz.
"As I said, it seems you are important to him...Is he that important to you?" the other Regan said.
"...Yes..." Kari finally answered, slowly wiping her tears.
"Important enough so that you would attack a dragon?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
"A dragon that should be dead." Rectified Kari. "You died countless years ago Ragnarastrasz. You should remember that. You're only 'alive' right now because Regan did that sacrifice thing-"
"Because he wanted to protect you and the others, and put an end to Ragnarok...even if it meant his own existence would be gone in the process..." the other Regan interrupted.
"And yet despite that, he's still there?"
"He seems...persistent...No...
There is one thing that prevented him from truly disappearing apparently..." the other Regan said.
"And that thing...is you...Kari Kamiya."
Kari said nothing.
"Out of pure instinct, his...'soul'...as if we could even call it that way...Well, his 'soul' still persist to exist." The other Regan said, frowning more. "And now because of him and you attack me, his memories keep surging into me!"
"Because we want him back!" Kari said nearly angrily, new tears coming at her eyes.
"At the cost of my existence? You do realize that I can be an important and powerful being, Kari Kamiya. I am a dragon after all."
"Regan is important too! Not just for me, but for everyone else! He helped many, many people all around him so much that we can't just let him go like that!"
"That many?" Ragnarastrasz asked. "All I see is one rather persistent girl in front of me."
"Now I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't get rid of you so that this way I will be finally be free..." Ragnarastrasz pondered.
Kari briefly stepped back in fear, but then tried to reassure herself. "You wouldn't dare to do that. That kind of thinking would be completely against everything the Red Dragonqueen taught you and your Flight."
Ragnarastrasz started. "...How can you know so much about my own kind?"
"Because Regan and I learned rather much thanks to another of your kind...and from the Queen herself. She came to us, to save our lives once, to Regan and me.
And besides that, I'm sure you're familiar with someone by the name of...Krasus?" Kari said, new confidence growing again.
Ragnarastrasz grew brooding...then his eyes looked aside...troubled. "So it was him...He's the one responsible for this state..."
"Yes..." Kari said. "And he told us we could get Regan...if we defeated you..."
"But you don't entirely trust him, aren't you?" the Regan said.
"...Yeah..." Kari said, looking down. "With everything that happened, and he keeps putting on that neutral 'face' and just saying he's sorry too...and that he does nothing as well..."
"Wrong...Now I think I realize something that happened..." the Regan said.
"The spell that struck me and caused so many memories to suddenly overflow my mind wasn't caused by you...but by him..."
"What?!? What do you mean?!?" Kari asked.
"He is nearby in this place...He must have been watching the whole battle, preparing himself...It looks like he wasn't as idle as you thought..."

"Indeed not." Another voice intruded.
Both humans looked aside them to see a new figure coming...and it was none other than...
"Krasus..." Kari said. "You were in this too?"
"...Wiseful One..." Ragnarastrasz said, bowing slightly to the taller figure of the elder mage.
"Yes Kari...I had been there the whole time you fought Ragnarastrasz. And indeed, I am the cause for the immense pain and memories you had Ragnarastrasz..."
"As it probably has been indeed...Only you can be so skillfull..." the Regan said. He then looked at Kari with a bit of a suspecting look.
"She knows everything." Krasus suddenly said.
The Regan look at Krasus. "All of it?"
"Yes. She knows who I really am...just as Gatomon, Lizomon and Regan..."
"But not these...Tamers..." the Regan said. "Still...why are you doing this Wiseful One? Aren't you pleased to see me alive once more?" he asked...starting to look more pleading...

Krasus remained silent before looking a bit away...He seemed very troubled...which only worried Kari...
"Yes...it does make me happy Ragnarastrasz...just as it pains me..." Krasus said.
"What?" the Regan said, a bit dumb-founded. "But...you are the one that brought me to life again, aren't you not?"
"It was the only way that could be done to defeat Ragnarok. I believe you know the reasons why right now, Ragnarastrasz."
"Yes..." the Regan replied.
"I am afraid to say that I am grieving for Regan as much as his friends, Ragnarastrasz..."
"...You would sacrifice me for him?" the Regan asked.

"It is not our right to twist and turn Life in ways to bring out Immortality or return life to those who are not meant to be alive anymore...You should know that well Ragnarastrasz..."
"I do..." the Regan said, looking down.
"Ragnarastrasz, I can understand how troubling it is...however, unlike perhaps any other living beings, you have been given an opportunity, a state unlike few ever had...
You are dead, just as you are not...but in all of this...you have always been alive, alive within Regan Astrasz, as he often called out to you, summoning your presence and powers."
The Regan remained silent. Kari took a look at the 'real' Regan who still hung at the symbol of the Crest of Life...He still looked as 'ghostly' as he was...
...or maybe even more...
She started to realize they might not have much time left!!!
And Krasus seemed oblivious to it...
She tried to speak out...but no voice came out of her mouth. In complete shock and horror, Kari realized that either Krasus or Ragnarastrasz had done that so they would only be able to talk face-to-face...and her only being able to observe.
She pushed at Krasus, only to have her hand fall right through him as if he was a ghost...or as if she was the ghost...
Kari started to realize that her own efforts in trying to be within Ragnarastrasz and affect him were starting to put a serious toll on her...and these were the reasons why she was starting to be unable to do anything...

"Opportunity? Honestly Krasus, if you call that an opportunity, then I must say I am rather troubled at this." The Regan said.
"Then you would be willing to sacrifice more innocents than only 'yourself'?" Krasus asked.
The Regan paused, a bit troubled.
Kari did not understand either...but she didn't started to feel well...she had trouble breathing...standing as well...
Were they talking about her?!?
In fear, Kari tried to will herself back to OrahAngewomon...but she found herself unable to.
She was stuck here... 'dying' within the dragon...

"It might be an odd twist of fate, but isn't it ironic that Regan and Kari looks rather similar...to yourself...and Vernalia?" Krasus said.
"Yes..." the Regan said. "I found that rather odd..." he said, a bit troubled.
"Then are you willing to let that 'other' Vernalia die as well?"
"What?!?"
"Ragnarastrasz...You are killing her as we speak..." Krasus said, his eyes narrowing.
"What?!?" the Regan started to look around, then saw Kari on her knees...and saw she barely looked able to breathe. She looked at him with a scared look...and pleading...
"Maybe she should die..." the Regan darkly said.

"NO!!!"
Something threw the 'human' on the floor before it grabbed Kari by her neck...and Kari found herself able to breathe again...
Looking behind her...she gasped as she saw Regan...although still nothing but a ghost...
"...Regan?!?" Kari said, in a still weakened voice.
"You shouldn't be here! Go!" the 'real' Regan said. His voice barely echoing...
"How is this possible?" the 'other' Regan rose, looking at his ghost helping Kari back on her feet before it glared at him.
"Didn't you say it earlier Ragnarastrasz? You said that Regan would not disappear because of Kari...but I'm afraid that would be a mistaken assumption."
"How so?" the 'other' Regan said.
"Because it is not only her that holds him tightly in this world..." Krasus answered.
And then Ragnarastrasz saw Lizomon appearing some distance to the others.
"I am not letting my partner go away like that! You heard me?!?" Lizomon said.
"Lizomon?!?" Kari said.
"Well...you could say I'm Lizomon...but I'm a lot more as well...
Call me a bit more of Regan's personality...in many ways..." the Lizomon said with a smirk.
"Ragnarastrasz, there is far more than what you know...Regan's existence is important..." Krasus said.
Ragnarastrasz kept eyeing the 'real' Regan, Kari and Lizomon with some shock.
"And how important?" he said.
"I was hoping that one day...he might be a bridge..." Krasus muttered.
"Isn't that...insane?" Ragnarastrasz said.
"Maybe...Or maybe just a fool's hope..." Krasus simply replied.
Then...Kari started to realize something as she stared at Ragnarastrasz as he kept arguing at Krasus while 'Regan' and 'Lizomon' kept glaring at their 'other self'.
At first...she thought he wanted to destroy her out of hate...
But it wasn't that...and now that she realized what it was...she felt pity for the dragon...

"You're afraid..." Kari sadly muttered. But the others heard her. Ragnarastrasz looked at her rather dumb-founded.
"You're afraid to die..." she continued. "Afraid that you will be nothing...
But Krasus is right, you shouldn't be afraid at all about that..." she added, and started walking toward him.
Ragnarastrasz started to walk backward, away from Kari.
"But there's nothing you should really be afraid of..." Kari said, continuing to approach, looking saddened.
Ragnarastrasz kept walking backward...before he bumped into something...or rather...several persons...

Regan, Lizomon Kylee, Impmon, Riza, Veemon...and even Kari and Gatomon...And it went on, as other boys and girls also appeared, some Ragnarastrasz belately recognized as other friends of Regan, in various ways...as his eyes fell upon a shorter, younger one that was wearing a red pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt, who had a Dorumon besides her...
Regan's sister...Narika Astrasz.
"Please Ragnarastrasz...let me show you..." Kari said as she neared the dragon in human appearance...and took his hand...before everything went white...

And Kari found herself floating in an emptiness of white and red...and saw the large form of Ragnarastrasz...in his true dragon form floating in front of him.
The dragon had its eyes closed.
"...What is the meaning of this?" Kari looked beside herself to see another Ragnarastrasz, as a dragon too, floating besides her.
"What lies at the core of Regan..." Kari said. "Is you."
"Me?" Ragnarastrasz said. "How is it possible?"
"Don't you know it yourself? You should know after all..." Kari said, a bit saddened as well.
The dragon approached 'itself' hesitantly...before touching it...Nothing happened, yet the awakened dragon blinked, a bit surprised.

"I...remember..." he spoke in a hazard tone. "I remember...the calls...his calls..."
"Regan's?" Kari asked.
The dragon nodded. "I remember...every of them...everything that happened...including when we fought Ebonwumon together..."
"Please don't remind me about that..." Kari replied a bit sadly, looking aside.
"I was not entirely conscious, in a sense...yet I was...alive..."
"Isn't that what Krasus had been meaning all along?" Kari said. "That despite that you are 'dead', you have always been alive, as Regan's shadow?"
"Yes..." Ragnarastrasz muttered. "But...even then I was barely anything..."
"You did grow in power as Regan slowly discovered the truth about what he is..." Kari said, a bit sadly.
"Yes...And I can remember how shattered he was when he discovered the truth about what he is...

A human in body...
A dragon in soul...
Yet...with an incomplete soul..." Ragnarastrasz said. "He was birthed as a human...but his soul had been my own...only a fragment of it...That is what he is...Not truly human...

I understand why you are so helpful and kind to him Kari Kamiya..." Ragnarastrasz said. "Because you know how it feels to be considerably different from others...In your case...being the holder of such an unusual Crest..."
"But I know I'll never be as unusual as Regan...that's why I want to help him...as best as I can...
It's what a friend would do after all..." she added, holding her hands together.

Ragnarastrasz slowly smiled...kindly...and brought a claw to Kari's face...and caressed it in a surprisingly gentle manner.
"You do care for him, child..." the dragon spoke.
"...Yes..." Kari hesitantly answered...
"Such a beautiful face..." the dragon whispered.
"Much like...Vernalia's...isn't it?" Kari said.
The dragon removed his claw, looking a bit hesitant. He clearly seemed a bit embarrassed.
"...Yes...she too was beautiful..." he said, letting out a saddened sigh...then he seemed to realize something. "Yes...I made my goodbyes to her already...I remember that too now...
...and I remember how she cried out when I faded away..."
"I know...Regan told me about it..." Kari said, a bit saddened. "I'm...I'm just so sorry about that we've been attacking you the whole time...and I hadn't really reminded myself about the harsh things you had in your life...
"A harsh beginning, heralding to a life of glory and power." Ragnarastrasz said. "That it how it has always began for dragons."
"But you never got that..." Kari said.
"No...but I still got things that truly mattered to me...despite my youth..." the dragon said, then started to let out a human-like chuckle...so similar to how Regan would let out one too...
"How ironic...I sound so old right now...despite that I wasn't even a millennia old! How ironic!" the dragon said, almost laughing happily about it.
"But you're still alive now Ragnarastrasz...You are alive through Regan..."
The dragon mused Kari's words, rubbing the lower half of its maw with one paw, almost thoughtful. "True...It is only a shame I was never been able to do much for him...I have only been his shadow...If only I could be more."
"Maybe you could be more, despite that you would be his shadow." Kari said. "Doesn't Life always find a way after all?"
"...True Kari Kamiya...True words indeed..." the dragon said, and looked at her deeply. "Regan Astrasz is indeed very lucky to have one such as yourself to care for him..." the dragon said.
Kari looked a bit sideway...and smiled slightly...along with her cheeks turning slightly red.
"I think he's right. You would probably make an excellent mate for him." Ragnarastrasz said.
This time Kari's cheek burst out in full red as she looked shocked. "W-What?!?"
The dragon laughed. "I was pondering old words from Regan's memories. About his comrade Lizomon saying that you would make an excellent wife for him. Of course in his usual nature Regan denied rather angrily."
Kari only blushed more at that.
"Maybe Lizomon could be right on this. You would make an excellent mate for him."
"C-Could you stop it?!??!" Kari said, still blushing a lot as she looked uncertain, then looked worried. "Regan!!! The longer we're there like this, won't he-"
"At ease...I am preserving his existence instead of trying to erase it now..." Ragnarastrasz said, raising a paw calmly.
Kari sighed in huge relief. "Thanks..."
"No...I should be the one thanking you, child. You opened my eyes to the truth when I was blind to it, and foolishly ignoring to see it. Your Light can indeed guide many...even powerful ones...
Thank you, noble Kari Kamiya, noble Child of Light..." the dragon said...as he bowed to Kari.
Kari looked only a bit hesitant to that. "But...what now?" she said a bit hesitantly. "To bring Regan back...it mean...you have to..." she said, but did not ended her sentence.
"I will not die. I will be in his shadow after all." Ragnarastrasz said with a powerful, determined expression. "And if I can, I shall seek to be more, for his sake.
As much as we are different he and I, we are the same, brothers in soul. It is only fair I would seek to protect my younger 'brother' then."
"But Krasus...he sent us after you..."
"He did that because he knew you could open me to the truth...He is quite wise...and once again, his plan worked well." Ragnarastrasz said.
"No...Regan can't be back..." Kari said.
"Not yet." Ragnarastrasz insisted.
"But now...I'm not sure if I even want to kill you..." Kari said a bit hesitantly..."Maybe no one else will..."
"No one else will indeed...because it is my responsibility to do this act."
"What?!?" Kari asked.
"It was Regan Astrasz who willingly sacrificed himself for me...As his soul brother, it is my duty to do the same for him..." Ragnarastrasz said.
"No, wait!" Kari said.
"Farewell Kari Kamiya." The dragon simply said, and his eyes glowed...before they seemingly engulfed all of Kari's vision...

And Kari found herself right back in OrahAngewomon...still held by Ragnarastrasz's paw.
The dragon suddenly removed his paw from Kari, stepping back.

Both UltimaRyumon and AmaKaisermon looked unsure, yet ready to attack.
"Wait! Don't do anything!" OrahAngewomon said.
"What?!?" AmaKaisermon asked confused.
"Very well..." UltimaRyumon said with a nod. One look at OrahAngewomon and he realized something had happened.
"...How long was I out?" OrahAngewomon asked.
"How long?" UltimaRyumon asked. "It was barely a second after you did that flash, and now Ragnarastrasz doesn't look like he wants to attack us at all!"

In just one second all those complex things had just happened in Ragnarastrasz's mind?
Kari thought that she might never really be able to understand all about the mind...
Maybe that's a good thing...

"Kari Kamiya..." Ragnarastrasz spoke. "To you, and all of your friends, I would want to deeply apologize for my reckless actions. I was foolish ignorant of the truth...
But I also want to thank you for having aided me in defeating Ragnarok."
"But...what about Regan...We fought you because we want him back." AmaKaisermon said.
"I know. I know everything there is to know now. You don't have to worry about that Riza Ryuzaki." The dragon said.
"H-How do you know my name?!?" AmaKaisermon said, stepping back in confusion.
"Warrior UltimaRyumon...or Lizomon as you may be. I would like to thank you for being such a strong mentor and friend to Regan. It is only a shame we cannot truly be able to know more of each other..."
"I don't think that's necessary..." UltimaRyumon said. "You are, in a sense, Regan, just as you aren't him...And if you know everything that happened between Regan and I, then you already know me as well as I know you."
The red dragon nodded.
"Kari Kamiya...I would have one last request to ask upon you." The red dragon said.
"...What is it?" OrahAngewomon hesitantly asked.
"Please take good care of Regan for me. And tell him I will always be a part of him...as I always was." Ragnarastrasz said.
"...I will..." OrahAngewomon replied.

Suddenly, the red dragon raised his right paw high in the air...and it started glowing with red energy.

"Wait! What are you-" AmaKaisermon started.
Then Ragnarastrasz brought down his clawed paw...in his own chest.
His own paw ripped through his own body, breaking apart the chest...just as it seemed that no blood, no true wound was opened...The dragon seemed to be struggling not to scream...and by judging by his rather pained expression...it wasn't easy...
With great effort, Ragnarastrasz suddenly pulled free his claw from his chest, which seemed to close up as if no wound had been done...
...from himself the dragon had pulled out what seemed like the large fragment of a large red crystal...before he hurled it far away...and fell down...shattering in pieces...
The dragon then let out some gurgling and gruesome pained noises...before he closed his eyes and calmed himself...

Then he glowed of a fierce red aura which soon enveloped him fully, slowly hiding him from view...
As the red light started to engulf him, he opened his eyes, looking at all of the three digimon...

And in their minds, all of them heard the dragon speak out one last time...

"Thank you..."

Then the red light exploded, forcing everyone to look away.

As the light faded, all three of them hesitantly looked back at where the dragon was...only to find him gone...

Instead...there was one small figure lying down on its stomach...a figure mostly hidden by a brown cloak...

"...Regan..." OrahAngewomon muttered.
All three of them hurried up to their friend before UltimaRyumon slowly turned him over...

It was indeed Regan.
He was back.

"...Mmm...The pulse seems rather weak..." UltimaRyumon said.
"We should bring him to a hospital quickly then." AmaKaisermon said.
OrahAngeomon noticed a bright flash of blue light above them...and saw a large blue portal that appeared out...
"Let's go back now...and bring him to a hospital...I'm sure Kylee must be worried right now..." OrahAngewomon said as she gently picked up Regan who didn't reacted at all.

She stared at him for a while, as Kari reflected one the many words the dragon Ragnarastrasz had said...
Yes...he was right...
The dragon was Regan's shadow...

"Kari?" UltimaRyumon asked, snapping Kari out of her thoughts.
"Let's go..." she said, taking off to the skies, followed by the others.
And as they all cross in the portal to bring them home to Phoenix City, it closed behind them...

...And further away, in the grounds of the canyons...the remains of the large crystal fragment had shattered...many shards spread everywhere...
They suddenly all glowed...before they slowly started to rise out...going all together in the same direction...

...toward a gray cloaked figure that held its hand waiting...

The shards all slowly floated up to Krasus' hand before they slowly melded together...reforming the large crystal fragment flawlessly...

"You had the opportunity of a new life...but you understood the true needs Ragnarastrasz..." Krasus muttered as he gazed at the red crystal which slowly spun in his hand.

"I am proud of you..." the wizard added before he closed his hand...and the crystal vanished, gone to where Krasus had been hiding it all along...
With that, the wizard himself also disappeared...
There were now a few more loose ends to tie up that remained to be dealt with...
...such as the Tamers that would be desiring to know the truth...