Disclaimer: I wish I owned Digimon so I could make another series. I mean, I do not own Digimon. Thanks for the reviews you guys! The critiques are great too. They gave me more ideas to add to this chapter. Please, be sure to review! This is a series of one shots. The main story will start after this one does. So, keep reading. ;)

For a New Tomorrow

Ken Ichijouji

The cobalt Chosen couldn't believe the sight in front of him. They were battling Apocalymon, hopefully the last enemy. Gennai said it was anyway. Ken hoped so. Because they were giving it their all. Two Ultimates, six Perfect, and one Adult. He hoped that Stingmon could keep up with the others, he never did reach Perfect before this battle. Ken was all right with that. His Digimon partner was strong all the same.

After finding out just a moment ago they never needed their physical crests in the first place for their Digimon to evolve is what kept his hope alive. One day Stingmon could still evolve. And now, they were giving their last attack.

"GO FOR IT!" He shouted with his friends. Adrenaline ran through his blood. "FINISH HIM ONCE AND FOR ALL, STINGMON!" He cheered as the final blows landed.

Apocalymon yelled in anguish as it denigrated. "I won't go down alone!" He roared as he self destructed as his last attempt to destroy them

Was this really it? At first there were cries of despair. But it quickly changed. It wasn't the end!

"We've all come this far, we can't say good bye now!" Ken shouted along with his friends. "There is still tomorrow after all!"

With that, the lights shot from their Digivices and contained Apocalymon in a box that diffused the explosion. Ken stared in amazement at the scene. They had won. They really had won.

He looked to Hikari and Takeru that were next to him. "We did it!" He cheered and they cheered in response.

In the midst of their celebrating no one noticed that the Darkness had completely disappeared.

I refuse to fall

A deep raspy voice filled their ears. I will take my queen.

Time seemed to freeze as one of Apocalymon's claws appeared out of the Darkness and grabbed Hikari from his and Takeru's grasp. Both looked horrified as their friend was dragged away screaming for her brother and friends.

"Hikari!" Tailmon and Taichi screamed in horror. They both ran as fast as they could to reach her, but it was no use. It was all happening so fast.

"Onii-chan! Tailmon! Save me!" Hikari cried in terror. The two ran for her, but it was too late. The dark space they were in disappeared and they were now presently in a forest.

"Hikari! Hikari!" Taichi sobbed punching the ground.

Ken was still very much frozen. Was this his fault again? If he had a better grip on Hikari, then… She would still be here. But she wasn't, and that fact ate at him.

"Hikari!" Tailmon wailed. She looked around as if she'd walk out of the bushes somewhere.

"There has to be a way to get to her!" Taichi yelled. He walked over to Yamato and grabbed the equally torn blond by the shoulders. "You were saying you guys were in a dark mass before, right? How did you get there? How do we get there?!" He shook the blond. "Answer me!" He cried desperately.

Yamato pushed the brunette away. "I don't know!" He yelled, tears forming in his eyes. "I have no idea, Taichi!" He cried.

Takeru sat on the ground crying, Ken went over and hugged his friend. "Don't cry Takeru, we just have to hope things are all right in the end, right?" He said through his tears reciting what Takeru said many times to him.

Takeru nodded through his own tears. Sora was comforting a panicking Mimi and Koushirou along with Jou had no idea how to react. For a moment all seemed fine, and their friend just suddenly…. Disappears. Gone. To somewhere they had no way of getting to. No way of knowing if she'd be OK.

Taichi and Yamato both fell to their knees. Tailmon stood still where Hikari had disappeared from. She said nothing, just silent, like a statue.

"My fellow Chosen Children." An older man came from the trees. "I have some unfortunate news to add to your disappearance of your friend. Do not worry about her, for I have sent agents out to investigate this matter."

"Old man, where did they take her? What was it even? What even took her?!" Taichi yelled with his hands balled into fists. "I want answers!"

"I do not know." He said solemnly.

"You never do." Taichi said bitterly under his breath.

"Taichi-san, please don't say that. Gennai-san is doing his best. We all are." Koushirou reasoned.

"So, what do you expect us to do now? Just go home like nothing happened?!" Taichi hissed at them both.

Koushirou looked down. "I don't know."

"Nobody knows anything around here!" He screamed tearing away from the group. He went over to a tree and took his anger out on it.

The team was quiet at this point. They felt hopeless. Helpless that there was nothing they could do.

"We will find her." Tailmon finally broke the silence. "Just like before, we will find her." Her body shook. "I waited years and years for Hikari. I could do it then, I can do it now. She found me, and now I'll find her. I'll save her from the grasps of evil." Tailmon turned around with tears streaming down her face. In her hand was Hikari's yellow scarf. It must have fallen off when she was yanked away.

"Tailmon…" They all gave her a sad look.

"I'm sorry to cut this short. But this news is rather urgent." Gennai cut in. "The gate back to the real world is closing. You must hurry to return home." His tone was very sad as he spoke.

"We can still look for her, right? Because a few months here is only a few seconds on earth." Taichi choked out, his fists red from punching the tree.

Gennai slowly shook his head. "I am sorry to say when Apocalymon was defeated, the world's times synched." His directed his gaze at the sky. "You will have to say your good byes." He then walked back into the forest and disappeared.

The group looked to their Digimon. They didn't want to say good bye. But they had to. Everyone went their own way to say their farewell.

Ken was in the forest with Wormmon. It was a peaceful setting just for them.

"I can't believe how much we've been with each other." The young boy started. Wormmon sat in his lap. "After finding out you were a virus Digimon, I thought you were a bad guy. But I found out you weren't. It relieved me more knowing there were Digimon that the others had befriended that were virus types, but were good guys. Like Sukamon and Ogremon. Even if he doesn't want to admit it." He let out a little laugh.

Wormmon nodded. "I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to protect you because I was only at Adult level. But that wasn't the case. Our bonds were enough. We sure learned a lot, huh.

Ken nodded. "I still don't know why I was chosen or how. But I guess we'll find out eventually. I guess it's like Gennai-san to not know a lot of things… Must be an old person thing." Ken and Wormmon laughed.

"Wormmon. I don't want to say good bye, I never want to be separated from you. I can't imagine being without you." He buried his face into his partner's head.

"Ken-chan," his partner closed his eyes happily. "You are and always be my kind Ken-chan. I know you will be fine back in Japan because you have a ton of great friends to be by your side." He looked up into Ken's eyes. "You are not alone or useless, no matter what your brother or anyone else says. What we have is real, and you are an amazing person. I'm sure we will meet again." He rested his head on Ken's shoulder.

"Wormmon." Ken sobbed and hugged his partner tightly. "Yeah, we will meet again. Definitely."

After everyone said their tearful goodbyes, it was time to set off. They all piled into the train car that would take them back to Japan.

"Tailmon, what will you do?" Ken asked worried for her.

"I will look for Hikari as I said." She looked to the other Digimon. She now wore Hikari's scarf around her own neck. "Alone. I want the rest of you to stay together in case the others are ever summoned again. "

The other Digimon wanted to protest. "No buts about it!" She said sternly giving them a scary glare. "I've been on my own before. I'll be fine." She looked to the other Chosen. "I will be fine, and I'll definitely bring Hikari back." She said reassuringly.

"Tailmon…" Taichi gave the Digimon a sorry look. "I wish you the best of luck."

Tailmon nodded as the train car set off into the sky back to Japan. This ended their adventure in the Digital World. Hopefully for now. Hikari would be fine where ever she was. He knew she was a strong person and they'd definitely find her.