Balance of Power: The Return

by Mugen no Ken and Razorsaw

[Savers][Part 4 and Epilogue up!] More than five years after the final battle, new enemies rise in both the Human and Digital Worlds, forcing Masaru to rejoin his comrades and face these new challenges.

4. A New Mission! DATS Revived

Disclaimer: Digimon Savers is the property of Toei Animation, Bandai, and Akiyoshi Hongo.

Author's Note: It should be noted that in this chapter, we begin referring to the Olympus Twelve as the "Twelve Gods" or "Twelve Gods of Olympus." This is in order to make it more in line with he more accurate title of their group. Earlier chapters will be edited to reflect that within due time. Also, we have changed all references to "Chief Yushima" to "Commander Yushima", to avoid confusion between his title and the title of another character.

Digimon Savers: Balance of Power
Prologue: The Return
Part Four - "A New Mission! DATS Revived!"
By Infinity Blade and Megaraptor the Scribe

After three days of being back in the Human World, Masaru decided that he enjoyed sleeping in a real bed again very much.

There was something to be said for being out in nature, and hardening your body by living in the environment. But then, after doing that for five years, having a chance to actually relax while sleeping was a welcome change, even for a hard-edged street fighter.

And if all this caused him to sleep until noon... well, that was good too.

The young man brought a hand to his forehead, yawning as he stirred himself awake. He was lying on his bed with his arms and legs sprawled out and the covers half on him. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his face for a moment before standing. As he got to his feet, he lazily noticed, once again, that his room had been left the way he left it was when he departed from this world over five years ago.

He shuffled out of his room, towards the family bathroom. As he began to remove his bedclothes in preparation for a shower, Masaru reminded himself that today was an important day – and one he hadn't been looking forward to at all. He frowned to himself, and climbed into the shower. As the warm water cascaded over him, he started to think back on the last several days.

Masaru had been faced with so much in such a short period of time. The battle with Apollomon, the Digital Gate appearing, and then the showdown with KaiserGreymon. What Major Nakamono had told him. And then there was what he'd found about Chika, both in regards to Piyomon and Ikuto. The things regarding his sister honestly didn't surprise him, but he couldn't help but think about them along with everything else that had been dumped into his lap.

Honestly, Masaru was glad that he'd been given a couple of days to just relax, and get used to being back in a world where things didn't routinely try to eat you. He had loved his adventures back in the Digital World, and he always enjoyed a good fight, but even he had his limits. If he had been forced to confront these issues all at once, he had no doubt that he would have lashed out at someone.

Ten minutes later, Masaru came out of the shower, and with a towel around him, returned to his room. He looked around... and saw a familiar-looking blue and red set of clothes lying on his dresser. He smiled to himself, and began to dress. This wasn't the same uniform he'd worn back when he first joined DATS, but it still felt good to be wearing one again.

Once he put on his belt, he was done. The boots, the jacket, the red shirt and pants... they were all just like what he'd worn years ago. He grinned, and started to head out of his room... when he realized he'd forgotten something. He ran back in, and retrieved from a dresser drawer the tag that his father had given him years ago, and put it on around his neck.

After this, he headed down the stairs and found that the house was empty. Of course, this didn't surprise him; he knew that his parents and Chika had headed out early, and that the digimon had all been taken to DATS Headquarters to be tested to see if there had been any adverse effects from coming through the Digital Gate. Masaru hadn't agreed with the government when they'd demanded it, but after talking with his father and being assured they'd stay safe, he'd backed down.

Either way, it would all be settled today.

Masaru headed out the door of his family home, and sat down to wait on the front steps. His parents had taken the car (he was a bit surprised they'd gotten one in the time he was gone). It didn't matter much, as he hadn't exactly had a chance to learn how to drive in the years he was in the Digital World.

A few minutes later, a vehicle pulled up in front of his house – a black and white police car. Normally, he would find this quite alarming and unwelcome, but this time he was expecting it. He got up and headed over to the car, as the driver inside opened the door for him.

"Well, well, well," said Fujieda Yoshino as he got in on the passenger side. "Back in uniform, I see."

Masaru grinned as he sat down. "Yep," he said. "Same goes for you, huh?"

Yoshino smiled, laughing nervously. She was indeed wearing a uniform that was similar to the one that she'd worn years before, though this one included longer pants with a short skirt over it. "Well, yeah," she replied. "Though... well, never mind. It can wait till we get to headquarters and everyone gets up to speed on everything."

Masaru nodded, and leaned back in his seat as Yoshino got the car moving again. "Still, this is impressive," he replied. "Dad says you've been with the traffic bureau...?"

Yoshino nodded. "Police work was something that ended up coming naturally," she said. "I don't know, after Lalamon and the others left, we all had to return to being normal people. Of course, Satsuma was the one that helped me get the job..."

This caused Masaru to raise an eyebrow. "From everything I know about the Captain, I would think that working as a traffic cop is the last thing he'd be doing..."

His words caused Yoshino to remain quiet for a few moments. Then she sighed. "Well, Masaru, DATS didn't fully leave our lives," she said. "It was officially disbanded in Japan, but... DATS was also an international organization. So the Captain was still loyal to them, even while he was living and working here..."

Masaru nodded. "So he got a quiet job to cover the fact that he was still looking into Digimon matters."

This caused Yoshino to look surprised. Then she laughed a bit, shaking her head. "Wow, Masaru, you're a lot sharper than you used to be. I'm impressed."

Masaru grinned. "Well, I've had nothing to do but think about it the last few days," he replied. "Besides, that old man Nakamono told me things had been going on with Digimon since I'd left. Satsuma isn't the type of man to sit back while stuff like that's going on."

Yoshino laughed again. "Oh, really? You're still doing that 'type of man' thing, huh? Well, I guess the more people change, the more they stay the same."

Masaru closed his eyes, putting his arms behind his head. "A man doesn't let go of his beliefs," he replied. "So, what about you, Yoshino? Ikuto and Chika practically grew up without me looking, and I hear Touma's even more of a brainiac. Plus, it seems like Satsuma's a secret agent. Somehow, I don't think you'd just sit idly by while everyone else moved forward."

The woman glanced at him, and smiled to herself. "Like I said, Masaru. DATS didn't fully leave all of our lives, and Captain Satsuma hasn't been the only one playing 'secret agent.' Besides, Touma and I promised each other something when you left."

Masaru about jumped in his seat, and his eyes widened. "'Promised each other something?'" he asked, sounding surprised. "You mean you two are together!?"

Yoshino about slammed down on the brakes as they came to an intersection, causing the car to jerk somewhat as it came to a stop. Yoshino gave Masaru an annoyed look, and sighed loudly. "No, Masaru, that isn't even remotely it. Please stop thinking in clichés and reading too much into things."

Masaru blinked. "Ohhhhh," he said, as he took in her words. "So... what did you promise, then?"

The woman shook her head, and got them moving again. "We promised each other that we'd keep moving forward. Try to get stronger, as individuals if not physically. We said that if we didn't, we wouldn't be able to look you in the eye when you came back from the Digital World."

Not sure what to say to that, Masaru simply stared at her. Her words had actually surprised him... But then, after thinking about what the three of them had gone through all those years ago, perhaps it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. And so, Masaru smiled, sitting back again.

"Well, then I'm glad we can all keep looking each other in the eye, then."

He saw Yoshino glance at him, her face a bit red. "You're welcome then," she said quickly, focusing back on the road.

Masaru grinned as he closed his eyes once more. It wasn't amusement that made him do so, but legitimate admiration for his friend. It seemed that digimon and DATS wouldn't be the only ones handing him surprises now that he was back in the Human World.

-- --

When the two of them had arrived at headquarters, they found something that surprised Masaru a great deal: the fact that the place was swarmed with reporters and security. The former of which surrounded the building, with the latter forming a perimeter that kept them all from getting too close to the building. Said security was also the reason why Yoshino's vehicle was able to get past the media crews without the two of them being hit with a barrage of questions.

After parking in the garage at the rear of the building, they'd entered the headquarters proper. This too was filled with activity, and the security seemed to extend into the building. However, the men in black suits and glasses seemed to give the two of them a wide berth.

"Okay," said Masaru, looking a bit annoyed, "Dad told me there'd be important people here today, but who did they roll out? The Prime Minister?"

Yoshino shook her head. "No. But we will be meeting with the Confidentiality Minister, and the official assigned to network affairs," she replied. "And what's more, they've called in the heads of DATS in Europe and America. I think Captain Satsuma also said that the U.S. Ambassador and Japan's representative to the United Nations would be involved."

Masaru's eyes widened. "Geez, that's more important people than I've even seen in my life. The only person from the government I ever met was..." his voice trailed off, and he frowned. "Wait, you said the Confidentiality Ministry. That means Hashiba is gonna' be here, doesn't it?"

Yoshino glanced at him. "Well, not exactly..."

Before Masaru could question what she meant, a voice addressed them from further down the hall, calling "Daimon Masaru, Fujieda Yoshino!" Both of them looked up, to see Kentarou Nakamono approaching them, with several men wearing security badges. The Major himself was wearing one, too.

"Major Nakamono," Yoshino said, bowing a bit, while Masaru just folded his arms. The man came up to them, and nodded.

"I'm glad you're here," he said. "The meeting is just about ready to begin, but there's several people that Satsuma wants you to be introduced to beforehand. Could you both come with me, please?"

Masaru frowned. "'Satsuma wants us to meet'? He echoed, glaring at the man. "Do you mean that, or are you guys really just wanting to ask us more questions?"

Before Nakamono could reply, Yoshino elbowed Masaru sharply in the side. "Masaru, it's not at all what you think," she replied. Then, she focused on Nakamono. "Understood, Major. Please, take us there."

Nakamono glanced at the two of them, and nodded his head, looking somewhat put off. Masaru eyed him for a moment, and his eyes met the old man's. The two stared at each other for a moment, before the Major spoke. "This way please," he said, leading them down the hall.

Masaru sighed, and began to follow. He wondered, and not for the first time, just what the hell was going on.

-- --

Touma H. Norstein was a person who reacted to official proceedings differently from his friend, Masaru. This was mostly due to the fact that he was more versed in such things, and because he was not as distrustful of authority. Of course, to some degree, Touma was authority, both in regards to DATS and his life outside the organization.

Still, there were things that not even he expected on a day like today.

"Touma!" said a loud, familiar voice. "Just what the hell is going on here!?"

Touma spun around, and saw Masaru approaching him with Yoshino, several men, and Major Nakamono. His two comrades looked rather surprised by what was in the room they had just entered, which was a feeling they ended up sharing with Touma.

"You tell me, Masaru," Touma said, sighing. "You tell me."

Masaru balked at him, and looked past Touma. The large room had both humans and digimon in it. And they were people and digimon that weren't members of DATS.

As they all took in the scene, they took note of the variety of digimon first. One looked like a child-sized hercules beetle, with a mostly blue shell and what looked like a scarf around his neck. Another was a white puppy-like digimon wearing a golden collar, and still another looked like a small, round, orange bird with short wings and a prominent red tail. There were still others, with all of them numbering about a dozen. That was without counting their human counterparts, of course.

But that wasn't the end of it. Two of those digimon had several very familiar-looking humans standing with them. One was a young man with glasses and scraggly dark-colored hair. A thin-looking, haggard man was with him, and they were both standing with the puppy-like digimon. As for the beetle, he was with a powerful-looking man, who wore a sports jacket with a name sprawled prominently on the back. The two of them were also with a woman and a child.

Masaru, Yoshino, and Touma each recognized these people. The young man and the man with him were Shiratori Kouichiro and his father. The strong-looking man was named Hayase Tsubasa, and the people with him were his wife and daughter. Touma in particular recognized the Shiratoris from DATS' files, and he knew Hayase personally from his own experiences with the man. What was more, they were humans who had been involved in encounters with digimon, and as a consequence, been investigated by DATS – directly in some cases, and indirectly in others.

They had also had their memories of those events erased. So, it was a bit of a surprise when Hayase and Kouichiro both stepped away from their family members and approached Touma and the others. The two digimon associated with them followed

"Daimon Masaru," said Kouichiro, smiling. "It's been a long time."

Hayase smirked, crossing his arms as he focused on Touma. "And you would be Touma H. Norstein, would you not? It's a pleasure to meet you again."

Masaru's jaw just fell open. "What... how... you... digimon!?" he managed to force out, as his eyes darted from the beetle to the puppy rapidly. Then, he threw up his arms, and just about exploded. "How the hell are you guys even here!?" And then he pointed at Hayase. "And how do you even remember us!?"

Both Hayase and Kouichiro's eyes widened a bit, as though they were surprised by Masaru's words. Before either one of them could say anything, however, the beetle stomped up to Masaru, and pointed a claw at the brown-haired young man. "Who do you think you are, talking to Hayase-senshu like that!? You apologize to him, right now!"

Hayase let out a groan, grabbing the digimon by his horn, pulling him back gently. "That's enough, KoKabuterimon," he said. "I'm sure that he didn't mean any disrespect... More than likely, he hasn't been briefed on just what's been going on."

"That's an understatement," said Masaru, rubbing his forehead.

"It's a long story," said Kouichiro, smiling nervously. "By the way... Masaru, this is my partner, Plotmon," he said, motioning towards the digimon at his side.

Everyone looked down at the puppy, who gave them all a small wave with his paw. "Greetings. It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said.

They looked back up, and Touma and Masaru both began to launch questions of their own. However, Nakamono caught their attention by clearing his throat. "If I may," said the major, "I can tell you what's going on. I'm sure Fujieda here is already familiar with this, to a degree, but I have the full story."

Masaru and Touma's heads both snapped towards Yoshino. "You knew about this!?" asked Masaru.

Yoshino let out an annoyed sigh, and shook her head. "Not really," she said, her eyebrow twitching slightly. "I told you, Masaru, that I've been affiliated with DATS to a degree, but all I knew was that there were 'strange goings on' involving people who'd encountered digimon. All of this surprises me about as much as it does you."

Masaru blinked... and after thinking a moment, seemed to accept that. Then, he turned back towards Nakamono. "Well, old man, if you can explain some things, you might as well say so."

Nakamono frowned at the young man, but nodded to him nonetheless. "Very well. Daimon Masaru, I told you several days ago that Digital Gates had been appearing in this world in the years since you went to the Digital World. What you're looking at..." he indicated KoKabuterimon and Plotmon, and a number of the digimon around them, "are what came out of them."

His words caused Masaru to look confused, so Touma decided to give his own observation. "These digimon were eggs that were sent from the Digital World, then," he said. "That's what happened with most of us. Eggs appeared in the Human World. But why people like Shiratori-san and Hayase-senshu?"

"We have no idea," said Hayase, answering Touma. "But after it happened, we were approached by Yushima-san and he used a device to restore our memories of when we first learned of digimon. Soon after, other people in the government approached us... including Major Nakamono."

"I see," said Touma, raising an eyebrow. "... And judging by you two, the common theme is the fact that you both knew someone who drew a digimon into this world. But why you, and not Hayase-senshu's daughter? Or Shiratori-san's father? They were the ones who had the direct contact."

"... That's a question we've all been asking," said Nakamono, looking regretful. "And I was put in charge of operations in Japan that were meant to investigate and contain what was going on with the people who were making contact."

Touma stared at the major, and narrowed his eyes. "That's an odd role, for a major in Japan's Ground Defense Forces."

Nakamono's eyes widened, and Masaru glared more intently at him. Then, the man seemed to visibly sag, as his eyes fell to the floor. "I'll admit, I had a personal stake in the matter," he said. "I've been authorized to tell you everything. For all DATS has done in secret in this country these last five years, it seems the Confidentiality Ministry is set to give you free reign again..."

Hayase spoke up, walking forward and putting a hand on Nakamono's shoulder. "Major Nakamono... it's alright. You told all of us this, when you came to us. We're not all blameless in this affair."

The major was quiet for a moment, before he nodded to the other man. "Very well. My family... was also affected by the sudden appearance of these digimon," he said. "And several years before, I was involved in an incident with a digimon. I was under stress from my position, and the creature seemed to just appear in response to that. DATS dealt with it, and managed to cover it up. However, I used my position to keep my memories from being erased, and so, when... that creature's egg appeared years later, to my family, I thought I had cursed them somehow. And then, my daughter, Yuriko..."

The man looked up, his eyes falling on a girl wearing pigtails and glasses, who was now standing with the bird-like digimon they'd seen earlier. "... She bonded with it, somehow. All she did was touch the egg, and then suddenly, it hatched. It was completely unlike what had happened to me. I couldn't separate them, and the government ordered us to hide it from the neighbors. If I wanted to understand what was happening to my daughter at all, I had to become involved in the investigation."

For a while, the group remained silent. Nakamono continued to stare at his daughter and her partner for a few seconds longer, before his gaze found the floor again. Masaru in particular looked affected by his story, and prepared to open his mouth to say something.

But just then, a voice came out over the building's P.A. system. "All personnel and guests, please report to the meeting hall. We are prepared to begin."

Nakamono sighed, and shook his head. Then, he looked up and smiled sadly at everyone. "Well, it seems we have to go. Come on everyone, let's hope we all get some answers today."

-- --

About fifteen minutes later, Masaru found himself sitting between Yoshino and Touma in DATS' meeting hall. As he sat there, he realized that he didn't know this part of the building even existed before today. He wondered if it had always been there, or if it had been added when the building had been rebuilt several years before.

The three of them were sitting in the front row. Nakamono was sitting in the same row, but further down, along with his daughter, her partner, and a woman that Masaru could only assume was the major's wife. The other people, including Hayase and Kouichiro, were sitting in the rows further back with their partners, along with the press that had been allowed into the building. At the front of the room was a stage with a meeting table, at which four people were now sitting. Masaru could tell that they looked important.

"So, who are those guys?" Masaru whispered, leaning towards Yoshino.

Yoshino sighed, and pointed at the dark-haired woman sitting in the center. "That's Nagano Wakana, the head of the Confidentiality Ministry," she said, "and the man sitting next to her is Chief Hongo Naoyuki, who took over Hashiba's position. The man on the other side of her is Japan's representative to the United Nations, Akashi Jutaro, and the American is the US ambassador to Japan, Mark Ellis."

Masaru's eyes widened a bit, and he nodded. "They're all big wigs then..."

Yoshino shook her head, looking slightly amused. "Yeah, they're all big wigs. So, please try to control yourself today."

This caused Masaru to mutter to himself, but before he could shoot back a reply, he saw something else that caused him to sit up and take notice. Satsuma came into the hall, followed by his father, their family, Yushima, Ikuto and the Noguchis, Miki, Megumi, and then finally, the digimon. Satsuma was back in his DATS uniform, but that in and of itself was not odd... the fact that his father was wearing one that was identical was, however. His sister and Ikuto were both in uniforms as well. And Yushima was wearing a business suit, which was odd, considering the fact that Masaru had only seen him in his usual outfit, or a pair of shorts and a Hawaiian-style shirt.

The entire group moved to sit down in the front row, except for the digimon, who ended up standing in front of their partners. Chika shot Masaru an excited smile, and Miki and Megumi both gave him, Touma, and Yoshino waves before they sat down. Kudamon, of course, was on Satsuma's shoulders, and Leormon and Kamemon both took their places by Yushima and Suguru. Finally, Agumon, Lalamon, and Gaomon came to a stop in front of the trio. All six of them nodded to one another, and then turned their heads towards the front of the meeting hall.

Masaru saw the four officials exchange a glance, and then each of them nodded. Nagano then stood up. "It seems that we are ready to begin," she said, addressing the assembly. "These proceedings will now come to order."

A hush fell over the room, and Masaru shifted in his seat a bit before sitting up straight. Nagano then sat down, and focused her gaze on Satsuma for a moment before turning to Hongo. "Chief Hongo, if you would please begin."

Hongo, a somewhat fresh-faced, nervous-looking man with black hair and glasses, nodded, and stood up. "As you all now know, over fifteen years ago, humanity became aware of the existence of the Digital World. No sooner than we had discovered its existence, did we come under threat from it, in the form of numerous disappearances and the appearance of its..." he paused, looking at Agumon and the other digimon for a moment, "... inhabitants in our world. Naturally, a greater effort to understand this so-called 'new world' was made, in the form of an expedition. Again, as you are all well aware, it ended somewhat... inconclusively."

Masaru glanced at Satsuma and his father, who both seemed a bit put off. He frowned to himself, and looked back at Hongo, who continued. "After the expedition, the Confidentiality Ministry allowed for the formation of a branch of the global organization called DATS in Japan. DATS became allied with a number of 'digital monsters', and made it its mission to investigate and combat hostile forces from the Digital World. Daimon Suguru... will you please explain to us the details behind DATS'... 'alliance' with the digimon."

Masaru looked back at his father, who stood up quietly. Suguru cleared his throat before speaking. "Thank you, Chief Hongo. I was the sole member of the Digital World exploration team to remain there after the rest of the group was forced to return. In the time I was there, I encountered a number of digimon, as well as the so-called ruler of the Digital World... an entity calling itself Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil was uncertain of humanity's influence upon its world, but I convinced it to allow humankind a chance to protect itself as a means of... testing us. He allowed one of his subordinates, Sleipmon, who is now known as Kudamon, and a number of other digimon passage into the human world. There, Kudamon and a digimon named Kamemon became the partners of my good friends, Satsuma Rentarou and Yushima Hiroshi, and also opened the doors to negotiations that led to the establishment of both the Digimon Treaty, as well as the formation of DATS itself."

Hongo nodded, sternly. "Yes, yes... but this being known as Yggdrasil... He was also the very same entity that ordered a massive attack on humankind five and a half years ago, was he not?"

Suguru grew quiet, and remained silent for a moment before answering. "... Yes, yes he was," said Suguru. "However, this was done in response to the actions of a man called Kurata Akihiro, who effectively committed several acts of war against the Digital World. Actions that, if I recall correctly, were sanctioned and condoned by the Japanese government."

Hongo's mouth fell open, and for a moment, he looked absolutely blind-sided by Suguru's words. "... Yes, that is correct," he said. "H-However, Yggdrasil reacted without diplomacy..."

"Chief Hongo," said Nagano, "if i may, Suguru-san has a unique perspective on this 'Yggdrasil', and has already made it clear to us that it is not a being that approaches situations in the same manner as humans. And, if I am correct Suguru-san, Yggdrasil has since removed himself from active involvement in either worlds' affairs, has he not?"

Suguru frowned. "That is what we believed, Minister Nagano. But now... we are not so certain."

Nagano looked mildly surprised. It was not she who spoke next, but rather, Ambassador Ellis. "... You are referring to the Digital Gates that have been appearing since Yggdrasil's withdrawal, are you not?" asked the man.

"I am. But, I believe that someone else can explain this aspect of Yggdrasil's intentions better than I can. Kudamon?"

All four officials looked surprised as Suguru addressed the digimon on Satsuma's shoulders. Kudamon, however, wasted no time in hopping off of Satsuma's shoulders. "Ambassador. Minister Nagano. Years ago, Yggdrasil restored the damaged barrier between our two worlds, and as a result, returned all humans who had been lost in the Digital World and put a stop to accidentally occurring Digital Gates. However, there are over a dozen humans and digimon here today that prove that travel between two worlds has occurred since then. The only explanation is that the Gates that united these people were opened intentionally."

Ellis nodded. "And you know this personally, as one of Yggdrasil's servants?"

Kudamon shook his head. "I do not. However, I do know that there are only two things capable of opening gates intentionally. One is human invention. The other is Yggdrasil."

The ambassador frowned. "That is acceptable reasoning, but do you offer any proof?"

Kudamon nodded. "I can. Professor Noguchi Kenji has researched this matter." And with that, the digimon looked over at Ikuto's father, who stood up, looking somewhat nervous.

"Uhm. Minister. Ambassador, if I may..." he said, bowing once. "I have had a chance to analyze a number of the Digimon who have appeared in this world the last several days. And I believe I have evidence of both why they are here, and just why they have bonded to their human partners."

Nagano and Ellis each exchanged glances, and the Minister nodded. "Go on."

"Well, to begin with," began Noguchi, "each and every one of these people have something in common. They all have positively confirmed themselves to have Digi-Souls, which is a kind of energy linked to human emotions. Over the years, we have learned that a Digi-Soul can manifest only through contact with a digimon. This contact can be incidental, or it can be prolonged. In the case of some, one person's relative can have the majority of the contact, and one can still develop a Digi-Soul. However, the strength of the Digi-Soul is tied to the owner's specific qualities."

"And what..." asked Ellis, "is the importance of all this?"

"Well," replied Noguchi, "for some reason, all digimon are somehow drawn to humans of intense emotion. This can even occur in their egg form. However, in the Digimon I analyzed, I found, buried in their code, something that made this drive stronger. They were different from other digimon. The only explanation is that all these digimon were sent into the Human World with a purpose. That they were given life with the purpose of coming to our world and joining humankind."

Masaru's eyes widened when he heard those words. He instantly thought back to his last encounter with Yggdrasil, and how the digital world's god told him that he'd watch and see what digimon and humans would end up doing. But Yggdrasil had also said that it would pull itself away from involvement... To do something like what Professor Noguchi was saying... it seemed so contradictory.

... Unless Yggdrasil knew something they didn't. And Masaru knew that was very likely.

"This all sounds good in theory," said Hongo, "but what proof do you have that these actions are the work of Yggdrasil? What justification do you offer for it to be thinking this way?"

"If I may speak," said Satsuma, standing up. "Chief Hongo, we can never know for sure without direct contact with Yggdrasil itself. However, the reasons why this has occurred are less important than when. The fact that this occurred before an act of massive upheaval like the incident several days ago cannot be taken lightly."

"Please clarify," said representative Akashi, speaking finally, "the exact nature of this 'upheaval.'"

Satsuma frowned. "Very well," he said. "The incident here in Yokohama with KaiserGreymon was not the only incursion. DATS Global has confirmed that multiple Digital Gates appeared worldwide, and that the dimensional border between worlds is in a state of disruption. Professor Noguchi, who is, along with his wife, also an expert in researching these gates, has confirmed that the disruption is so intense that travel through the border would be dangerous for anyone, be they digimon or human."

"It is the evidence of our research," said Noguchi, following up on Satsuma's words, "that the Gates are what triggered this, and that they themselves were caused by the mass detonation of weapons called space-time-oscillation bombs."

Hongo shot up out of his seat. "Those devices were created by Kurata Akihiro. Just what are you playing at, by saying such things!?"

Satsuma narrowed his eyes. "What we are saying, Chief Hongo, is the truth. What that truth means, however, is unknown to us."

Before Hongo could reply, Nagano spoke up. "The Japanese government has had no involvement with the Digital World," she said, "and we have certainly not made any efforts to follow in Professor Kurata's footsteps."

"Nor has the United States," said Ellis.

"And the U.N. has made sure that no other government has sponsored such action, either," followed Akashi.

"Then the evidence points to an unknown party," said Satsuma. "And what's more, the testimonies of Kudamon, the of digimon of DATS Japan, and our own agent, Daimon Masaru, have confirmed that a space-time oscillation bomb was used. Furthermore, they have also told of us of a conflict between the great powers of the Digital World, and DATS Global has confirmed that a large number of digimon were brought to this world by the opening of the Gates. The timing of these events cannot be denied! There is something large at work here, and all of these events must be related."

"Minister," said Hongo, looking exasperated, "how much of this man's word can we take seriously? All of the evidence they have brought forth comes from people who are loyal to him, and from creatures that exist outside of our laws. DATS has always had too much of an opportunity to work outside of the law, and for the past several years, have been acting without proper jurisdiction on Japanese soil!"

Nagano stood up. "What Chief Hongo has said is true, to a degree," she said. "You at DATS have investigated matters involving the Digital World for several years now, while the organization has claimed to have disbanded its Japanese branch. I understand, however, that there are reasons for this."

"There are, Minister."

Masaru's head snapped towards Yushima, who had risen from his seat and was now standing. "As you know, I was the chief officer of DATS, here in Japan. After we disbanded, and the new appearances began, I approached Satsuma and our agents, claiming that we had proper authorization. All of the actions that we have taken... are due to my overzealousness. I believed that we were facing a matter that required secrecy, and that after all that had occurred, we needed freedom to work at our own course."

Masaru looked at Yoshino, who looked positively shocked at what Yushima was saying. Masaru felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach, and couldn't help but wonder if the old man was taking the fall for something a group had done.

"You see? We have an actual admission of wrongdoing!" said Hongo, who was now sitting down along with the Minister. "Minister, with all due respect, we should launch an investigation, and take all of these digimon into custody, before these people have a chance to act against us!

Nagano turned towards Hongo, and frowned. "... Chief Hongo, I believe that you are too strongly influenced by the policies of your predecessor, and the words of Kurata Akihiro."

Hongo gaped, and Nagano continued. "Yushima-san. DATS has informed us that you have been removed from your position, in response to the Prime Minister's request to DATS," she said. "However, judging by the evidence submitted here today, and what was given to us prior to these proceedings, we know that we cannot judge the entire organization based on the actions of one man. DATS has proven itself to work in the interests of the greater good. And frankly, we are now faced with a situation that only DATS can deal with."

"The United States is in agreement," replied Ellis. "We have already had a digimon incident on our own soil, and we are aware that Japan has always been a focal point for these events. DATS has always been imperative to keeping these situations under control, and in my opinion, they are needed now more than ever."

Akashi also nodded. "The U.N. will support this as well, in the interest of not allowing this to negatively affect world stability."

Hongo looked absolutely defeated. Nagano, meanwhile, spoke up once again. "Satsuma-san. We understand that DATS has elected you to replace Yushima-san, should the organization be reformed here. The Japanese government will allow both of those things to occur. However, DATS will now be under the authority of both the Confidentiality and Defense Ministry, and since there is no longer a precedent towards keeping Digimon secret, you will have the backing of the Japanese Ground Defense Force. It is our decision that Major Nakamono Kentarou be your direct liason."

Masaru's mouth fell open, and he looked down the row at the major. Nakamono was sitting a bit stiffly, as his wife and daughter whispered congratulations to him.

He looked back at Satsuma, who began to speak. "I understand," he said. "I have already selected Daimon Suguru to replace me as the tactical leader of our group here. In addition, a number of people here today have requested a chance to join our organization."

"That is understood," said Nagano, "as is DATS' wishes to expand their operation here. We support this decision, but with the provision that several limitations be put on DATS' policies."

"That is, of course, acceptable, Minister."

Nagano's lips curled into a smile, while Hongo looked as though he was doing his best not to speak out of turn. The Minister then rose again, and announced, "Then, I am pleased to state that the Digital Accident Tactics Squad is now officially re-instated here in Japan."

-- --

"This is such a load of bullcrap!" Masaru said as he, Yoshino, Touma, and their partners walked out of the meeting hall. Luckily for them, Yoshino and Touma had led Masaru out one of the back entrances, so no one could see the young man's reaction

"Well, I'll commend you for actually holding your tongue in there," said Touma. "For once."

Masaru growled, and slammed a fist into his palm. "They just completely railroaded old man Yushima in there! After everything he's done for DATS and the world, they just fire him like that!? And then there's the Captain... and Dad."

Touma sighed at his friend in exasperation. "Masaru, listen. We're dealing with politicians here. Nothing can ever be completely clear cut when politics are concerned. One does have to consider the fact that, from their perspective,anyone acting without approval in a situation like this comes across as not respecting or caring about their authority."

Masaru glared at Touma, and then immediately spun around and looked at Yoshino. When he saw her expression, which was withdrawn, saddened, and looking very much like she wanted to do anything but talk at that moment, he stopped short. Masaru ran a hand through his hair, and then cocked his head to one side. "It wasn't just him doing this, was it?" he asked her.

Yoshino let out a sigh of her own, prompting Lalamon to lay a stubby arm on her shoulder. "Yoshino?"

"No," Yoshino murmured. "No, it wasn't. It was all of us... myself, him, Miki, Megumi, Captain- or, I guess, Commander Satsuma now... We've been investigating things for a long time, trying to keep our work under wraps. But I never would have expected him to take the burden all on his own! I didn't know the extent of it – about things like Hayase-san, or anyone else who'd partnered with a digimon! Masaru, if I knew it would have come to this..."

"Unfortunately, there's not really any choice," Touma said. "If everyone of us came out and admitted what we were doing, we would all be facing dismissal, or worse."

Masaru's eyebrow shot up, and he took a sidelong glance at Touma. "'Us?'"

Touma placed a hand on his hip and smirked. "Come on now, Masaru. I may have be a well known doctor now, but you couldn't really have thought that I would stay away from things like this. I've been helping both Professor Daimon and the Noguchis whenever they've asked for my help with their own research. And with Ikuto's help, I've been compiling a database of various facts about the Digital World's culture. I did know about the Digital Gates, as well, though a lot of the specifics were unknown to me till today."

"I wasn't told anything about them," Yoshino noted. "They had me looking into the Confidentiality Ministry's old dealings with Kurata, and what current investigations were going on."

"And I didn't hear anything about that," Touma replied.

Yoshino blinked several times. "But why would they be so secretive?"

"Simple," the blond man replied. "Putting all of that responsibility on us would make it easier for someone else to come along and knock down the whole group. If we didn't know the whole story, they'd have less to catch us on and connect back to Yushima and Satsuma."

"Ah, smart as a whip, as always, Touma."

The humans and their digimon all spun around, and found Yushima and Kamemon standing at the door they had exited. The old man grinned at them, and then held up a finger to his lips, speaking quietly. "However, talking about such things with so many politicians in the building isn't the wisest course of action."

"Old Man!" Masaru exclaimed. "You... I mean, how come..."

Yushima gave him a mild laugh. "It really does warm my heart you all are so concerned about this, but everything is all right. Really. Satsuma, Suguru, and I decided this a long time ago... or, at least, I decided, on my end of things. Because, as I'm sure you all can very well guess, each of those men wanted to take the fall themselves. Touma pretty much hit the nail on the head, though... only I really knew what was going on the whole time. Suguru and Satsuma only received the full picture within the last few days"

Yushima's eyes fell on Touma. "Besides, there were other reasons... if we had let you know more than you did, sooner than you did, it wouldn't have been fair. Not to you, your sister, or all the people in the world that you've helped. Without anything conclusive, there wasn't any need to distract you from doing what the world needed you to do." He turned to Yoshino. "And it's not for a lack of trust, either. Everything you've done, since you joined DATS all those years ago, has been invaluable to us, Yoshino. We knew you'd be capable, but we didn't want to just lay the burden on you, because we knew you'd be too ready to accept it."

Yoshino frowned. "You mean like you did?"

Yushima laughed again. "Oh, I'm just an old man with his whole life behind him. That's a big difference, Yoshino. What if Ikuto-kun had known? Would he have been able to focus as well on building his life in this world, knowing everything? Even if he did know, he wouldn't have been any closer to Falcomon than he is now, but..."

"... He would fixate on it, and let him it weigh him down," Gaomon said.

"... I think we can all identify with that," said Yoshino, glancing at Lalamon.

"It's just... it doesn't seem right," Masaru grumbled.

Yushima walked over, and put a hand on Masaru's shoulder. "I told you already, Masaru. Everything is fine. This was my decision. Besides... you have to understand. There was no easy way out of this... technically, we all stepped outside the law. With me as a scapegoat, Nagano and the government are looking the other way because they realize they need DATS. Sometimes... we need to step aside for the greater good. To make a sacrifice."

Masaru stared at Yushima, his mouth hanging open. Then... he shut it closed, and nodded quietly.

Yushima smiled. "Well, with that said and done, I think that Commander Satsuma and Captain Daimon are waiting for you in the command room. Remember, everyone... what was done in the past doesn't matter here today. All that's left now is the future."

"But, what about you?" Agumon asked, looking back and forth between Yushima and Kamemon. "What are you two going to do?"

Yushima gave him a smile, and then turned. He motioned for Kamemon to follow him before starting to walk down the hallway. "I think that Kamemon and I will go fishing."

Masaru watched them walk off, staring a bit forlornly. Touma sighed, and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Come on, Masaru. Your father and Satsuma are waiting for us."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Masaru said, though he didn't move until he saw Yushima and Kamemon turn the corner.

At that, he sighed. "I'm comin'..."

-- --

About six minutes later, Masaru and the others entered the main command room of DATS Headquarters. Once there, he immediately found himself greeted with a chipper shout of, "Hi, Masaru-niichan!"

Masaru's eyes darted around the room. Sitting on the counter next to one of the computer stations was Chika, Piyomon at her side, with Ikuto sitting in a chair next to both of them. Suguru, Leormon, Satsuma, Kudamon, Sayuri, and the elder Noguchis were gathered around what was once Satsuma's command station, while Miki, Megumi, and both of the PawnChessmon were busy checking out their old stations near the Digital Dive.

Masaru frowned, and he fixated, at last, on the fact that his sister was wearing a uniform that was identical to the one Yoshino had once wore, only colored red rather than pink. When he'd seen her wearing it in the meeting, it hadn't registered, but now, he couldn't help himself from blurting out, "Just what do you think you're doing doing wearing that!?" This caused Yoshino and Lalamon to both let out sighs, while Touma simply shook his head.

Chika rolled her eyes, and jumped down to the floor, giving her older brother a mock salute. "Agent Daimon Chika of DATS, reporting for duty, sir!"

Masaru sputtered and stared, and spun to look at Suguru. "Dad! You cannot seriously be letting her join!"

Before Suguru could reply to him, Chika shouted back at him across the room. "Oh, c'mon, Masaru-niichan! I'm older than you were when you joined DATS!"

Masaru stared at her, eyes widened. In the three days he'd been back, that fact about his sister hadn't even hit him until now. She was sixteen, just starting high school, while Masaru had left for the Digital World when he was fourteen. He never even went to High School. He blinked a bit, and then looked away. "Yeah, but, I mean, you're..."

To his surprise, he suddenly found Yoshino stepping in front of him and waving a finger in his face. "Daimon Masaru, I swear, if you dare say 'because you're a girl,' I'm going to knock you through the wall. Understood?"

Masaru's jaw dropped a little bit. He had been hit and threatened by many things, but never a female, let alone Yoshino. What was more, he was suddenly very sure that Yoshino actually would do what she said.

"Um, n-no," Masaru said, scratching his chin and looking away absently. "I'd never say anything like that!Just what kind of guy do you think I am...?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Yoshino asked, balling her hand into a fist.

"Masaru," Suguru spoke, drawing their attention back to him. "Chika and I already discussed this a few days ago. You did a great job being the man of the house when I was gone, and you did everything you could to protect your mother and sister... but things are different now. And I've already gotten a man's word that she'll be protected, no matter what. And after what Chika and Piyomon both accomplished the other day, I have no doubt in my mind that this will be the case."

Masaru started to look back towards his sister, only to notice instead the fierce looks on both Piyomon and Ikuto's faces. Knowing he couldn't win, Masaru rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Yeesh. All these changes are starting to give me a damn headache. But fine... I mean, you're my sister, after all."

Everyone laughed at those words, which caused Masaru to sigh irritatedly. "You sure haven't changed one bit, have you, Masaru?" said Miki, from over where she was sitting.

Masaru looked up, and looked over at where she and the other operator was now sitting. "Oh... hey, Miki. Megumi."

"Hey yourself," said Megumi, laughing a bit. "So, Masaru, you're not going to make a case about us coming back too, are you? I mean, we're both women, and all..."

Masaru shot the blonde woman a look, though he knew she wasn't serious. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Enough already." Then he crossed his arms. "So, where were the two of you the other night when everybody came back?"

"They were covering for me," Satsuma answered for them. "When the Digital Gate appeared, the Confidentiality Ministry sought us for questioning. Kurosaki and Shirakawa both helped give me the opportunity to get back here and join the battle against KaiserGreymon."

Masaru leaned up against the command station's desk. "I see," he said. Then, he took another look at his father's uniform. "... You know dad, this is gonna be weird. But..."

"But?" Suguru asked.

Masaru smirked, glancing at Agumon, who grinned back at him. He then eyed his father, keeping that expression. "If all this stuff really is necessary, and someone has to replace Satsuma... I don't think I know anyone better for the job."

Suguru shot a similar look back to him. "That means a lot to me, son."

Just then, the doors leading into the command center slid open. In walked Nakamono, followed closely by his daughter,Yuriko, who was carrying her partner digimon along with her. Following them was Hayase and KoKabuterimon, as well as Kouichiro and Plotmon.

Masaru pushed himself off the desk, and stepped in front of Nakamono, blocking him from walking further. The major seemed unsurprised by the action. "Hello, Daimon Masaru," Nakamono said flatly.

Masaru narrowed his eyes, and spoke, saying "So, Major, we're gonna be working together from now on, aren't we?"

"It seems that we will," Nakamono replied, looking completely unsurprised by the young man's actions. Masaru crossed his arms, and stared at the man for a moment, before doing something that did surprise him.

He held out his hand to Nakamono.

"You helped my family and friends get away when we were fighting KaiserGreymon," Masaru said, giving the major a sincere-looking smile. "Thanks."

Nakamono blinked several times... and then took Masaru's hand and shook it, looking somewhat shocked. "...You're welcome," he said. "You know, you're a strange one, Daimon."

Masaru let out a short laugh. "Lets just say," he said, giving a quick look to Nakamono's daughter, "That I think I have a better understanding of what sort of man you are, now."

Nakamono actually managed a small, though brief, smile as he released Masaru's hand and nodded. "The same here, kid." He looked around the room. "That said, I'm not the only one that will be joining you..."

The older man's daughter suddenly stepped forward, bowing excitedly. "It'll be an honor to work with all of you!" she exclaimed, and then smiled up at Masaru brightly. "Daddy's already told me about everything you and the others did the other day, Daimon-san!"

Masaru gave the girl a wide-eyed stare, and Nakamono coughed loudly into his hand. "Yes, as I was saying... My daughter Yuriko is going to be joining the support staff here at DATS. I believe that Shirokawa-san and Kurosaki-san will be overseeing her training..."

"Chicchimon will be joining you too!" Yuriko said happily, which was followed by her partner chirping loudly at the mention of his name. "...Though, he doesn't talk very much yet."

"Meanwhile," Nakamono continued, indicating Hayase, Kouichiro, and their partners, "these men will be joining you as field agents. There are others, but these two in particular requested to see you all in person."

Touma eyed both of the men. "Are you two sure about that? It's not something to be taken lightly."

Hayase held up a tightly clenched fist. "I'm more certain about this than I have been about anything in a long, long time. Besides, I owe you all a debt we may never be able to repay, for saving my daughter that time. If I can make up for even a little bit of that, it'll be worth it."

Kouichiro nodded, looking to Masaru. "And Masaru saved both mine and my father's lives, Masaru. It'd be bad of me if I couldn't try to live up to that, if only a bit."

"I will be proud to fight alongside you!" proclaimed KoKabuterimon, thrusting out his arm and pointing... though at no one in particular. "That is, if you all show Hayase-senshu the proper respect!"

Touma gave a laugh, almost to himself, and scratched the back of his head. "I don't think I'll have any problem with that..."

"If I may have all of your attention," said Satsuma's voice, causing everyone to turn towards him and Suguru. "In addition to our expanded ranks, there will be changes in how DATS operates. We're being watched closer than we ever have been before. And it won't just be being watched by the government, but the entire world. You might think that no longer having to keep digimon a secret will make our jobs easier, but the fact of the matter is..."

"...It'll actually be the exact opposite," Suguru continued. "With the general public knowing about the existence of digimon, it creates a whole new set of problems that we have to contend with. But at the same time, I'm sure each and every one of you has some idea what we have to deal with."

"Of course, Captain Daimon. And before we can really begin, we have a lot of work to do," said Yoshino.

"Yes, but now that we're all together again, we can do it!"exclaimed Lalamon.

Gaomon nodded in agreement. "Indeed. And now that we're no longer hiding, we can show humanity a different side of digimon, and that we aren't to be feared..."

"And in turn, we can attempt the same for any digimon here in the Human World," added Touma.

"Well then!" Suguru shouted, slapping a hand down on his desk. "If Commander Satsuma doesn't mind, I'd like to give my first order."

Satsuma smiled. "Be my guest."

Suguru grinned, looking around the room, as everyone now stood at attention. "It is DATS' mission to maintain harmony between both worlds, and deal with digimon-based crimes, but that is only its immediate goal. Our ultimate goal is..." He looked to his son and his partner. "Masaru? Agumon?"

"To create a world where both digimon and humans can live together in peace!" both of them shouted in unison, throwing their hands into the air.

"Exactly," said Suguru, nodding. "To that end, my first order... Is for everyone here to erase the sins of the past, and look to the future! Together, we'll make that world a reality!"

Each veteran member of DATS, save for Satsuma and Kudamon, immediately snapped to attention and saluted him. "Yes sir!" they exclaimed.

Nakamono blinked, and as soon as everyone was at ease, he looked over at Masaru. "So, that's your father, huh?"

"You bet he is!" Masaru replied, grinning as widely as he possibly could.

Nakamono sighed, amused. "Well, that explains a thing or two..."

"It does, doesn't it?" Yoshino replied, though her expression matched Masaru's. Masaru shot her a look of annoyance... and then laughed out loud. Yoshino blinked, and then after a moment, laughed herself and smirked back at him.

Soon, everyone fell into their own rhythm. Touma began to converse with Hayase, while Gaomon introduced himself to KoKabuterimon. Yuriko introduced herself to Ikuto and Chika, and she seemed to make fast friends with the other girl while Chicchimon flew out of its partner's arms and circled excitedly around Piyomon's head. Miki and Megumi watched, smiling cheerfully, until Yoshino and Lalamon came over and began to talk with them. Nakamono watched his daughter with a mixture of pride and worry, while Kouichiro and Plotmon introduced themselves to Suguru and Sayuri. Finally, there was Gotsumon, buzzing about from person to person, trying to get himself noticed.

Masaru couldn't help but watch this all with a bit of fondness. He looked over at Agumon, who grinned back at him. Without saying a word, they knew what the other was thinking. Even though neither of them would ever want to undo the decision they'd made five years ago, they both couldn't help feeling good about being back at DATS.

This was where they'd both began, and together, they'd somehow made it back.

-- --

Some hours later, Touma and Gaomon had both left DATS in the former's limo, which his butler Gunter was currently driving home. Gaomon was sitting next to Touma in the rear of the vehicle, looking relaxed as his partner talked on his cellphone, dealing with a particularly important international call.

"It was on all of the major news channels?" said Touma, smiling fondly. "I see, Relena. Did Father have anything to say about it?"

"He did," said Relena's voice, on the other end. "The press here in Austria made a big deal about how the famous Dr. Norstein was going to be working with DATS. Father thought it was ridiculous how much they were focusing on you, when more attention should have been on other things, but he was definitely proud."

Touma actually chuckled a bit. "I see. And did I hear right? Father's going to be making a donation to DATS' branch in Europe?"

"He is. He also said that he wanted to see you, Touma... But I imagine you won't have much time to make international flights for a while."

"Actually," said Touma, "as soon as I'm done contributing to a project here, Commander Satsuma requested that I help the new commander there with an important matter." He paused for a minute. "Speaking of international flights, how was yours? I'm sorry Father wanted you back in Austria after that whole mess several days ago..."

"Brother," he heard Relena sigh. "I'm fine. You know you don't have to worry about me all the time anymore, right? Besides, that's what fathers do, they worry."

"So do big brothers," Touma replied with a sigh of his own. "Okay, Relena, I understand."

"Thank you, Brother," said Relena's voice, pleasantly. "Oh, by the way... how is Gaomon?"

"He's fine," said Touma. "From what I hear, he's been through a lot, the last few years. He and the others are just fine, though. And you should see some of the new digimon that have joined DATS... you won't believe it, but one of them is partnered to Hayase Tsubasa! The digimon has a rather... extreme personality, however..."

"Hayase Tsubasa? The boxer you were such a big fan of when you were younger?" he heard Relena giggle. "Ah! Uhm, what about that rocky little one that doesn't have a partner? The one named Gotsumon? What's going to happen to him?"

Touma blinked, surprised that his sister would ask about that. "Well, like you said, he doesn't have a partner," he replied. "It'd be dangerous to have him out in the open among people... He could be negatively influenced, you see, like the digimon we had to deal with five years ago. But we've given him a place at headquarters, so he should be safe there..."

"I see. That seems a little lonely, but if it's for the best..."

After that, the two of them began winding down their conversation. After wishing each other the best, and Touma asking Relena to tell their father the same, the young man ended his call. He sighed, and put his phone back into his vest pocket before turning back to Gaomon. "Relena hopes you're alright," he said to his partner.

"That's nice of her," Gaomon replied, pleasantly. Then, he smiled wryly at Touma. "So... Doctor Norstein. You won a Nobel Prize in Medicine? I'm very proud of you, Master."

Touma blinked, and then returned his partner's smile. "Thank you Gaomon. ... And you haven't done so bad for yourself, I hear. Kudamon told me you were working directly with the Royal Knights. I just hope you don't count Yggdrasil or Omegamon as your new master."

Gaomon held back a chuckle. "Well, Omegamon wanted to officially induct me as a member, but I told him there was only one person I could truly serve. And I'm very glad to be back with that man, now that I'm here in the Human World again."

Touma nodded. "And that man is glad to have you back," he replied. Then, he looked up, as the window separating him and Gaomon from Gunter began to lower. "What is it, Gunter?" he asked.

"We've almost at your your home, Master Touma," said the aged servant. This caused Gaomon to look up in surprise. Touma thanked Gunter, and looked over at his partner, noting the beast digimon's expression. "What's the matter, Gaomon?"

"Master... this isn't..." he said, looking out the nearest window. "I mean, this isn't the way to..."

Gaomon's voice trailed off, as he looked out the window on his side of the vehicle. He hadn't noticed it till now, but this wasn't the route that led to Touma's family estate. Rather, it was in one of Yokohama's more typical residential areas.

"Yes, well, I've decided to live somewhere else when I'm in Japan," said Touma, smiling as he looked out the window with Gaomon. As the car slowed in preparation to park, he caught a glimpse of two individuals walking down the street in the opposite direction, both of them wearing long black coats and with their hoods drawn over their heads. For a moment, Touma remarked how strange this was, considering that it was summer, and that one of the two seemed unusually short.

The car came to a stop, and Gunter got out of the vehicle in order to open the door for them. Gaomon stepped out of the vehicle, looking at the building they'd parked in front of. Then, slowly, realization dawned on his face, and his jaw fell open.

"Master..." Gaomon breathed. "This is the house you... you grew up in, isn't it? The one you lived in before..."

"My mother's house," replied Touma, smiling down at Gaomon. "To be honest, Gaomon, I don't really need so much room, and I can get along without any servants besides Gunter to help me. Besides... I always wanted to come back here."

Gaomon stared at him for a moment, and then smiled back at him. The two nodded to one another, and prepared to enter the building... only to stop when they noticed something sitting in front of the door. Gaomon ran forward a bit, and picked it up, holding up a white and yellow flower, along with a neatly folded piece of paper.

Touma stared at the flower as he took it from Gaomon. "... A white water lily?" he asked, wondering how an aquatic plant that was usually found in Europe had ended up at his front door. Then his eyes widened as he remembered another name for the plant, and he he grabbed the paper away from Gaomon.

"Lotus..." Touma whispered, unfolding the paper. Then, his eyes widened again, as he read what was written on it:

"Our game begins again, beloved. Look forward to seeing you soon."

Touma's eyes darted in various directions, as he began to look around. His mind instantly drifted to the two people he'd seen walking down the street, and he looked frantically to try and catch a glimpse of them again. As he tried to recall what they looked like, he thought again of how short one of them was. What was more, he became convinced he'd seen one of them with a lock of blonde hair.

"... Master?" said Gaomon, touching Touma's arm. "Master, what's wrong?"

Touma frowned. "I'm not sure, Gaomon. But let's get inside... I'm suddenly uncomfortable out here."

-- --

"...and I want to hear about everything you've been up to all this time, Yoshino!"

Yoshino smiled happily to herself as she and Lalamon rode up her apartment building's elevator. The little plant digimon had been rambling on endlessly since the two of them had left DATS, and the woman was perfectly content to listen to everything without complaint. This was mainly because of how much she missed just hearing the sound of her best friend's voice.

"It hasn't been that interesting," said Yoshino, as the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. "Aside from my investigations, that is, but you already know about those. Being a traffic cop in a town where most people don't own a car isn't exactly the most exciting job in the world."

Lalamon sighed as she bobbed in the air alongside Yoshino while the two of them headed down the hallway. "I don't want to know about all that, I want to know about you!"

"It's not like I'm a different person these days, Lalamon," Yoshino said, pulling out her keys once they reached her apartment. "I am who I am. I still live in the same apartment, and I just traded one law enforcement job for another."

"But, but...! C'mon!" Lalamon insisted. "You can't tell me, in five years, nothing interesting has happened!"

"Compared to what we went through before you left?" Yoshino asked, starting to go through her many keys.

"Well, I dunno... what about boyfriends?"

In response, Yoshino suddenly fumbled with her keys and dropped them on the floor. Then, laughing to herself, she stooped down to pick them up. "Lalamon... when was the last time you remember me going on a date?"

"Well-"

"That wasn't me being undercover," Yoshino interrupted, finally finding the right key.

Lalamon blinked her round, black eyes several times. "Um... but, it's been five years!"

"I've been busy," Yoshino said. "Too busy." She sighed as she unlocked the door. "In fact, I always seem to be..."

The young woman stepped into her apartment and turned on the light... only to pause and look back as she noticed Lalamon hadn't followed her inside. "Lalamon? Is something wrong?"

"It... it..." Lalamon stammered, staring blankly into the small, single bedroom apartment. "It's CLEAN!"

Yoshino scowled as Lalamon darted inside, looking around rapidly. "And just what is that supposed to mean!?" the woman asked, sounding offended.

"There's... there's no weeks worth of clothes piled up on the floor!" the digimon exclaimed. She looked over and pointed at the small kitchen area on the other side of the room. "The sink isn't piled up with dirty dishes! Everything... everything's neat and organized!" She spun around, staring at her partner in shock. "Just who are you, and what have you done with my Yoshino!?"

Slowly and silently, Yoshino began to shut the door... and then doubled over laughing once it was closed. Lalamon stopped dead in the air, looking confused. "What's so funny?"

Yoshino looked back up at her, wiping a tear from her eye. "Oh... wow. If I'd known you'd react like that, I would have done it a long time before you left for the Digital World." She took a deep breath, composed herself, and straighted back up. "Lalamon... really. I knew when you left that I had to fend for myself. I couldn't just do things knowing I had someone behind me all the time to help me out. Maybe that's why I've focused so much on my work, but I knew for the first time I was really on my own. And yet, with everything you helped teach me, that didn't seem as overwhelming as it might have been before. I had learned how to do things to make myself a better person... And yes, learning to do the laundry regularly was at the top of the list."

"But you weren't ever alone!" Lalamon said. "You still had friends... and our bond never died! I could still feel your Digi-Soul growing stronger every day, even from another world!"

Yoshino grinned, and found herself wiping away another tear from her eye, though it wasn't from laughter this time. "I know, Lalamon... but even if I had friends, I was still missing my best one... and I... I'm glad you're back."

Lalamon giggled, floating over closer to her partner. "So am I. And I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."

-- --

"Dammit to hell, Agumon! That's my fried egg!"

"Not if I eat it first, Aniki!"

Chika watched, her jaw agape, as Agumon and Masaru dueled each other with their chopsticks over the last remaining piece of their meal. Sitting at the table with the three of them was Piyomon and Leormon, as Sayuri prepared more food over in the kitchen. Suguru was still back at DATS, having long since made everyone, including his partner, go home to eat and rest, saying he'd probably be dealing with official matters well into the evening.

"Now, now, you two!" Sayuri said happily. "There's plenty more where that came from!"

"It's a matter of principal!" Masaru said, growling at his digimon partner. "You know Agumon, it's not my fault that you lose your sense of loyalty whenever you want to stuff something in your mouth!"

"A man can't properly fight on an empty stomach!" Agumon growled back. "Besides, you know how seriously I take fried eggs, Aniki!"

"I guess some things really don't change," Chika mumbled.

Piyomon gawked at her. "You mean they've always been like this!?"

"Now see here-!" Masaru began, but was cut off by a yell.

"Will you two shut up!?"

Both Masaru and Agumon's eyes widened, and both looked at Leormon, looks of utter amazement written on their faces. This moment passed quickly for Masaru, and he pointed his chopsticks angrily at the lion. "Hey, just who d'you think you're talking to, Leormon!?"

Leormon flashed a wide and toothy grin at Masaru. "Well, you see Masaru, I realized something today!"

"Oh? What's that" Masaru asked, his voice deadpan. Taking advantage of the opening he'd been provided, Agumon quickly swiped the last fried egg and tossed it in his mouth, prompting Masaru to shout, "Hey!"

"Well," Leormon began, "not only am I not Agumon's subordinate anymore, but now, as Suguru's partner, I outrank both of you!"

Both Chika and Piyomon erupted into laughter, while Masaru just glared at Leormon. After a moment, though, he laid his chopsticks down and made a small sigh, smiling to himself. For just a moment, though he still didn't appreciate being talked down to, he had heard an unmistakably commanding tone in Leormon's voice. And for that moment, he'd been reminded of a voice he hadn't heard in a very long time.

Before he could dwell on it for very long, they heard a loud knock on the door. Pushing himself away from the table, Masaru stood up. "I'll get it. C'mon, Agumon."

"But-!" Agumon started, pointing to where Sayuri was still preparing more food.

Masaru grabbed the lizard's claw and dragged him away from the table. "I said come on. It'll still be there when you get back. No one can eat as much as you can, anyway."

When he opened the door, Masaru was surprised to find Ikuto standing there with a rather severe-looking expression on his face. The older man raised an eyebrow. "Oh, hey, Ikuto. Chika's in the kitch-"

"Actually, I need to talk to you, Masaru," interrupted Ikuto. "... If that's alright, that is."

Masaru and Agumon exchanged brief glances before they both stepped outside, with Agumon shutting the door behind them. "Alright. Go ahead," Masaru said. "What's up?"

"It's... it's not about Falcomon, if that's what you're wondering," Ikuto replied. "I believe what you said, and I have faith in him... I know he'll find some way to make it back here safely. But I've been thinking about something else, too. The battle you all fought the other day... it started in the Digital World, right?"

Masaru nodded, getting an idea of where this was headed. "Yeah. Yeah, it was."

"And the digimon you were fighting... They weren't the only ones you'd been battling, were they?"

Masaru crossed his arms and frowned. "You mean other than Agnimon, Vritramon, and their flunkies? ...They were getting orders from their boss, Apollomon, and there was another one-"

Ikuto's eyes widened, but somehow, he didn't look exactly surprised. "Dianamon?"

Masaru nodded, solemnly. "Yeah, that was her name. Falcomon told me that you two knew these 'Twelve Gods of Olympus' guys. And that Mercurimon was one of them."

Ikuto looked away, a mixture of sadness and anger in his expression. "Yeah, we did. And he was," replied the boy, swallowing hard. "What were they doing?"

Masaru grimaced, and closed his eyes. He had already told this story to his father and Satsuma, but they weren't as close to the situation. They didn't really have as much of a personal stake in what the Olympus Gods might have done. The only reason Masaru hadn't said anything to Ikuto about it yet was because he figured the boy was still reeling from the fact Falcomon was trapped back in the Digital World. And, as much as he hated to admit it, he was a bit afraid of seeing the boy's reaction.

So, he was somewhat surprised when Agumon answered Ikuto for him.

"They took over the Zanzaga Forest," the small dinosaur said. "They forced most of the digimon out of the area, and took everyone else captive. The Royal Knights showed up to help, and we were able to get most of them to safety except for..."

As Agumon's voice trailed off, Masaru looked at Ikuto straight in the eye. "They demanded that their captives follow their leadership. Jureimon stood up to him, and Apollomon... Apollomon killed him."

Ikuto's arms shook as he clenched his hands into fists, but he otherwise maintained a hardened expression. "I... I see..."

"None of us understood what they meant by it," said Masaru.

"Yeah, from everything Falcomon told us, this isn't like them, is it?" Agumon asked, causing Ikuto to shake his head fiercely.

"Never!" he replied. "I met the warriors of the Light Fang! Apollomon's soldiers used to pride themselves as being noble, proud fighters! And Apollomon especially! In a way..." His body seemed to relax slightly, and he smiled sadly. "In a way, Apollomon's ideals used to be a lot like yours, Masaru. But after seeing Agnimon and Vritramon, and what you told me just now..." His smile faded, and he frowned again. "But wait, if you were fighting with them when the Digital Gate appeared..."

"Yeah, that's sort of the problem," said Masaru. "We don't know what happened to either of them. Same goes for Dukemon and UlForceV-Dramon. When we were falling through the Gate, they were swept off somewhere. Dad figures they probably came out of another Gate and ended up in our world somewhere..."

Masaru didn't want to finish, and left the sentence hanging. He knew very well that if four Ultimate level digimon, much less two Royal Knights, fell down into the Human World somewhere, someone would have noticed them over the past three days. But he hadn't heard anything.

"What did they say?" Ikuto asked. "Exactly."

Masaru blinked a bit. "What do you mean?"

"Did Apollomon or Dianamon try to justify what they were doing, in any way?" the teenager replied.

Masaru thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Apollomon said... that they were the world's new protectors. He also said that the Digital World was being... 'poisoned' by humans and the Royal Knights. He said that they'd use force to change all that."

Ikuto's eyes went wide for the briefest of seconds before narrowing tightly. "Marsmon."

Masaru and Agumon both looked at each other with equal confusion. "Marsmon?" they chorused.

"If I'm right... and if I remember everything about him correctly... then it all has to be because of Marsmon," Ikuto responded. "He's one of the other last remaining members of the Olympus Gods."

"But what makes you think..."

"One time, when I was young, Marsmon arrived in the forest, demanding to speak with Mercurimon," Ikuto said, looking to the side "They got into an argument, and Marsmon called me a 'poison' that would ruin Mercurimon. All this time, I thought he was just like Gotsumon, or SaberLeomon, but..."

It took a moment for the meaning of that to sink in, and Masaru and Agumon shot one another concerned glances as they both seemed to realize what Ikuto meant. "So, then you think that Marsmon is the one convincing the Olympus Twelve to do all this?"

"I'd put my bets on it," Ikuto said, scowling. "And what I know about him fits with everything else you said. He's always distrusted the Royal Knights, and thought that we should weed out the weaker elements of the Digital World. I think, after all the disasters the Digital World has seen, he's finally been able to convince the other Gods of Olympus that he was right."

"Others, huh?" asked Masaru. "Were there any besides him and Apollomon and Dianamon? I mean, we need to know what we're up against."

Ikuto paused for a moment, but then nodded, sighing. "Yes. You already know Mercurimon was a member, and besides Marsmon, Apollomon, and Dianamon... the other surviving members include Neptunmon, Minervamon, and Vulcanmon. I'm not sure what Neptunmon and Vulcanmon think, but Minervamon... she would be the last person I'd expect to follow Marsmon. But I can't really be sure about anything, anymore..."

Masaru studied Ikuto for a moment, who seemed to have gotten a bit more on edge at the mention of Minervamon. He frowned, and decided to change the subject. "Well, if Apollomon and Dianamon are in this world, Ikuto, then this isn't over. They could try to carry on what they were doing here, in the Human World."

Ikuto looked up, appearing almost angry. "And what about the Digital World?" Ikuto asked. "Marsmon is someone who considers no one to be his equal. He prides himself on his power, and doesn't consider anyone to be above him, not even Yggdrasil. In his own words, he thinks he's a true god. A god of power, of battle... A god of war! If he's behind all of this, then he won't stop at anything. Not even losing Apollomon and Dianamon will make him slow down! Everyone in the Digital World will be in danger!"

Masaru's eyes widened as he listened to the boy's words. Then he sighed, and placed a hand on Ikuto's shoulder. "Ikuto," he said, calmly. "I know how you feel. I spent five years in that world. And it's not just me. Dad, your parents, and everyone in DATS are going to do everything they can to stabilize the Gate so we can make it back to the Digital World."

Ikuto just frowned at him. "Do you think the government is going to care about doing something about it until it affects them?"

Masaru just smirked, and gave him a thumb's up. "Come on, now. Since when has something like that stopped us? We'll make sure that we get Falcomon back here, and we'll stop this whole mess with the Olympus Gods one way or another."

Ikuto could only stare at him for several long moments, before finally smiling slightly and nodding. "Yeah... th-thank you Masaru."

"Good!" Masaru said, now grinning widely. He spun Ikuto around and shoved him towards the door. "Now go say hello to Chika! Heck, help yourself to Agumon's third helping while you're at it! Not like he needs it"

"Hey!" Agumon growled loudly.

Ikuto looked back at the young man, his expression one of surprise. "Ma- Masaru...!"

"Go!" Masaru commanded, pointing at the door, though he was still smiling. "I'm not gonna tolerate any man whose with my sister that'd come by and not even say hello, you got me? Now get in there!"

Ikuto blinked, and then rubbed the back of his head, blushing a bit as he entered the door. "Ri-right..."

Agumon watched the boy for a few seconds as he entered the house, and then shook his head vigorously, giving chase. "My fried eggs!"

Masaru just laughed to himself, but instead of following, he turned and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, and he could see the stars clearly, even with the city lights. It had been a long time since he had been able to look up at the stars of the Human World, and he was finding that he had somehow missed it. This sky was clear, and uncluttered with the abstract constructs of the Digital World.

Of course, neither one was better or worse than the other. Each world's sky was beautiful in its own way, he just hadn't had the chance to take the time and look at the one in the Human World for quite some time. And both worlds held their own wonders and excitement, and he had enjoyed the time he spent in the Digital World. He wouldn't trade that adventure for anything.

But, even still... it was another world. And though he counted both places as worthwhile, everything he had fought for was here now, including Agumon.

Both he and Agumon had been born into the Human World. Adventures were great, and he knew that he would face many more battles and hardships in the time to come, but for the moment, he could be content with where he was. He was a fighter forever, but after spending five years learning he could live up to his father's example, he knew that for now, he didn't have to test himself.

That would come later, and soon. But for now, it was good to be home.

-The Beginning

-- --

Mega Sez: Just keep reading everyone. There's the Epilogue right after this, and we'll cover our final Authors Notes for this installment in one big installment.

Infinity Says: ...what he says.