Outside Sephirotmon's body, Takuya and Junpei stared up at the large, foreboding structure. Every now and then, flashes of light could be seen in the uppermost dome. Without being able to hear anything, they knew that Kouji was fighting his brother.

Jet Sylphimon landed, glowed, and became Izumi again. "No good. None of my attacks even left a mark on it. And I couldn't see any way in."

Takuya shook his head. "No luck here, even with Junpei's help. I'm a bit worried about doing anything stronger; there's no telling what would happen if we wrecked Sephirotmon while the others are inside."

"They'll be fine," Junpei said, looking slightly less worried than the other two humans. "Kouji's with them. That guy's a machine when it comes to fighting."

Izumi glanced at Junpei. "But he's fighting his brother. Mercuremon has to know that."

"He'll be fine," Junpei repeated. "We'll just have to wait."

-+-
Digicross Frontier:
"Steel's breaking point"
-+-

In his castle, Cherubimon watched the two brothers digivolve and start battling. "Too soon. Too soon," the corrupted angel digimon murmured. "That fool Mercuremon...how could Ancient Sphinxmon's Spirits be held by someone so foolish?"

Complicating the matter was the fact that his own lord had, apparently, cut him off. He still sent down ever-diminishing orbs of digicode, which promptly vanished into the nothingness at the core of the digital world. With not so much as a rumble in reply. "My lord, the offworlders draw nearer! And this green tinted fool is the only defender you leave me with?"

"I have one more, fool," a voice said. From the pit where Cherubimon sent his offerings down, an single, diminutive figure appeared, shimmering and ghostly. "If Mercuremon falls, and I sense he will, very soon...you will go forth."

"Lu...Luce...mon..."

"I have tolerated your failures for far too long, traitor. You even bungled the slaying of your co-conspirator, Seraphimon, allowing others to seize his digicode."

"I have Ophanimon," Cherubimon countered.

"Oh no. Her fate is mine to deal out. Not yours. After all, she was the greatest of my servants." Lucemon snarled, the sight unsettling to Cherubimon. "And the one who struck the first blow against me."

-+-

As with the last time, neither Reichmon nor Beowulfmon bothered to call out attacks. This time, however, Kouji's fighting was a bit more restrained, he having the knowledge that this was his long lost twin brother he was fighting.

"Stay back," Beowulfmon roared in between clashes. "Go find Ryoko and Sneasel. I'll keep Kouichi busy!"

"My name, fool, is Reichmon!" Slamming his battle staff into the ground, Reichmon sent a row of ebony stalagmites rushing at Beowulfmon. When this was dodged, he followed up with a flurry of staff strikes. "We are much more alike than you care to admit, thief. I too know the arts of fighting."

Beowulfmon parried every strike he could. His armour was already chipped and dented from the strikes that did get through. "Kouichi, stop it! Cherubimon's controlling you!"

"Controlling me? He showed me the TRUTH, worm! It should have been my life. HOW DID YOU GET IT?"

-+-

"Tomoki! Tomoki!" Hiroki ran into the chamber where Tomoki, Ryoko, and Sneasel were. "You have to come with me."

"Hiroki, what is it," Ryoko asked.

"We found Kouichi. And he's still under Cherubimon's control," Armadillomon panted. "He's really going at it."

Ryoko frowned, holding Sneasel close to her. "Sneasel," she whispered. "Can you help us?" The pokemon trembled slightly, still partly trapped in the nightmare Asuramon had trapped him in. "Come on, snap out of it."

Armadillomon looked worried. "What happened to short, dark, and chilly?"

"Asuramon had him under some sort of mind control," Tomoki answered. "But I thought it would end when I scanned his digicode."

"I don't think so." Ryoko glanced at Tomoki. "He's...well, when I first met Sneasel, he was...his mother was an enemy of our parents." Hiroki nodded. "I think Sneasel's always wondered how much like his mother he is. And some of the other digimon are uncomfortable around him."

"But...Sneasel's so cool," Tomoki replied, "and strong and loyal."

"Too loyal," Armadillomon sighed. "Poor kid always overcompensates."

-+-

In a hidden part of Cherubimon's castle, there was a cage made of pure light. A joke, Lucemon had commented, on the being it held inside.

Ophanimon sat motionless on the floor of the cage, concentrating. The cage holding her was designed to absorb the light-based attacks she used, and add that power to its own strength.

She remembered her sorrow as she felt Seraphimon fall, and the despair of seeing her friend Cherubimon fall under the sway of the power they were supposed to be protecting the digital world from. The war, the loss of the Royal Knights...

And now this. In her soul, she could feel the two brothers, bearers of the Darkness and Light spirits, fighting each other, while treacherous Mercuremon watched and laughed. And she was helpless, forced to be a mere bystander, trapped in a cage that might well have been made from her own power...

Wait.

For the first time in a long while, a smile played across the face of the angel digimon. One lesson she had always remembered, one that Lucemon himself had shown her. Her attacks could not affect the cage. But she knew a move that didn't attack the cage directly.

"Heaven's CHARM!"

-+-

Another swing, another parried strike. "You'll never defeat me, if you keep fighting so half-heartedly, Kouji. Where is the beast that nearly slew me last time?" Kouji paused, mid strike, and was forced to hastily jump back to avoid Reichmon's warstaff. "Perhaps that girl you're so interested in...?"

"Leave. Ryoko. OUT OF THIS!" Suddenly, the Light Hybrid charged forward, Zweihander swinging low, nearly cutting Reichmon's legs off. The rage subsuded, and Beowulfmon pulled back.

"So...found a weak spot in the great Kouji Minamoto. I'm hurt, brother dear. You'd choose some girl over your own blood?"

Beowulfmon closed his eyes for a second, concentrating. "Come and find out, Kouichi." With a click, the Zweihander split apart, into two single edged swords.

-+-

Ryoko got up, still holding the delirious pokemon in her arms. "We'd better find Kouji."

"Then what," Armadilomon asked. "Even if Sneasel were back to normal, we'd need both him and Sorcerimon to free Kouichi. And from what I saw, even that might not be enough."

"We have to try," Tomoki insisted, Hiroki nodding in agreement.

"Noble, but foolish." A giant eyeball shimmered into view, sucking Tomoki in. "Now that that pest is dealt with, I can deal with you two."

"Mercuremon! Where's Tomoki!" Hiroki looked around. Armadillomon tensed, ready to digivolve.

"Oh, he's quite safe. I sent him outside with his friends. Now, while the two brothers have it out...I can deal with you at my leisure." Mercuremon stepped out of the eyeball Tomoki had been pulled through. "You in particular, girl. Perhaps once you are gone, that brat with the Light Spirits will be a bit more tractable." Ryoko stepped back, scared.

"Armadillomon, blast digivolve to...ARMORMON! FULL FIRE!"

-+-

"Do you hear that?" Aldamon looked around, hearing what sounded like a loud clang, followed by a scream.

Tomoki landed on top of the Fire hybrid, knocking both to the ground. Evolution broken, Takuya got up. "Geez, Tomoki...What has Junpei been feeding you?"

"We have to get back in there!" Tomoki said. "Mercuremon has Ryoko and Hiroki trapped. And Sneasel can't fight back!"

Izumi shoved Junpei out of the way, he trying to get closer to Takuya to ask him to clarify that crack about him feeding Tomoki. "What?"

"And Kouji found Kouichi, but Kouichi double spirit evolved to something called Reichmon, and now he's fighting Beowulfmon!"

"Where?" Bokomon asked, grabbing Tomoki by the front of his shirt and dragging the boy down to his eye level. "Did you say Reichmon?"

"You know him," Sorcerimon asked.

"He knows everything," Neemon remarked, unconcerned. "Relax. Sneasel will come through."

"I-" Bokomon stopped before his insult could get started; that statement seemed out of character for the permanently (in Bokomon's opinion) addle-brained Neemon. "Reichmon is the Double Spirit form of the Spirits of Darkness."

"Can Beowulfmon beat him?" Takuya glanced at the rest of the Chosen Children, all of who had their D-Scanners out.

"Fighting his own brother?" Izumi glanced at the top sphere. She could just see muted flashes of...something. "We have to get in there. Double Spirit Evolution!"

-+-

"Fool!" Mercuremon didn't even bother dodging Armormon's barrage, letting his shields catch the attack and reflect it back at the digimon. "Without your friends, you're nothing!"

"Then you don't know nothing!" Armormon charged. "Reflect this, creep! DOUBLE KICK!" At the last second, Armormon spun around, and his hind legs lashed out, catching the Steel digimon in the head. Mercuremon was pushed back a few feet, landing in an undigified pile. "Izumi's not the only one who's learned from a TM."

Snarling, Mercuremon got up. "Impressive. But I too have learned a few new tricks. For example, did you know that I could store attacks? BREZZA PETALO!" Streams of wind shot out, slamming into Armourmon and throwing him back. Hiroki could just make out an image of Fairymon in one of Mercuremon's mirror shields. "Ha-HAH! BURNING SALAMANDER!" Agnimon appeared in a mirror, and balls of fire flew out, exploding around Armourmon. "Your paltry techniques cannot stand up against me, fools! The Spirit of Steel's true might lies in its defenses! Which are, of course, impenetrable, especially when the one with Seraphimon's digicode is too tied up in his own self-doubts to be of any use! LICHT-"

"FULL FIRE!" Armourmon and Hiroki cried in unison; both had guessed that while mimicking attacks, Mercuremon's defenses were lowered. As it happened, they were right, and the bolts struck Mercuremon full-on, flinging the Steel hybrid away.

"Boy," Mercuremon spat. "I'm torn between killing you first and thanking you; you've made this fight interesting."

-+-

Both warriors sensed it; something powerful was outside the sphere they were duelling in, and was trying very hard to get in. "Your friends," Reichmon asked between strikes.

"They could be yours too," Beowulfmon replied.

"They are fools; they have not yet realized Mercuremon's true power."

-+-

Angered by Sephirotmon's refusal to open, Yuki Angemon shimmered, became the massive Blizzarmon, and proceeded to vent his rage on the metallic sphere with both axes.

Rhino Kabuterimon, in Knight Mode, started to say something, then sighed. "Well, it's not like we're doing any better."

Jet Sylphimon's sword bounced off of the metal. "We have to get in there. Keep trying! DIAMOND SCOURGE!"

Aldamon flew up, and blasted the far side of the dome with another Brahma Shil, with even less results. "I wish Kouji were here. If we all hit it at once..."

Rhino Kabuterimon glanced at Jet Sylphimon, then looked around. "Over there," he called to the Wind hybrid. "Where that pipe-thing connects. Aim for this spot." He fired a small bolt to mark where he was talking about. Jet Sylphimon nodded, flew into position, and waited. "One...two...three...STORM BREAKER!"

"DIAMOND SCOURGE!" The two attacks collided, right at the point Rhino Kabuterimon wanted. There was a sharp cracking noise and a bright flash of greenish light. When it cleared, they saw that there was, now, a small crack. "Alright!" Jet Sylphimon flew down and gave Rhino Kabuterimon a quick hug. "Nice call."

"Well, mom is a ninja." Jet Sylphimon blinked at Rhino Kabuterimon's odd statement. "Ehh...she played one," Junpei stammered unconvincingly. "In a movie. Really."

"Right," Jet Sylphimon answered, unconvinced. "We'll talk about this later. Everyone," she yelled, "We made a crack!"

From the ground, Bokomon squinted, then gasped. "They've figured out how to do combination attacks! We might win this yet!" Unnoticed, Neemon looked out over the field, worried expression on his face.

His eyes were on the distant outline of Cherubimon's castle.

-+-

Ophanimon landed, looking around to see if Cherubimon had heard her escape.

"Impressive." Lucemon appeared, translucent body blocking the only exit from the room Ophanimon had been held in all these long months. "I had thought that the cage Cherubimon had imprisoned you in was proof to all your powers."

"You are not as wise as you think yourself, my lord," Ophanimon replied sarcastically.

"Tut, tut. Such poor manners from my former friend. Of the three angels, I had such high hopes for you when I raised you to your current level. I could forgive your transgressions against me."

"Transgressions? You plunged this world into civil war and tried to destroy everything in your mad quest for power!" Several small crystals formed in one of Ophanimon's hands.

"I merely wished to impose ultimate order on this world and all worlds connected with it. Is that so wrong?"

"Yes. Sephirot Crystal!"

"GEMINI MATRIX!" The two attacks collided, the explosion shaking the whole castle. This will not do, Ophanimon thought. Cherubimon will be here any second.

Lucemon frowned. He was still not strong enough to battle someone of Ophanimon's power. If only he had-

"SPIKING STRIKE," Ophanimon screamed, calling up another of her former attacks, feeling a faint rush as the blood-red blade shot out from the back of her hand and speared the mad angel, his ghostly image screaming in pain and vanishing. Quickly, she made her way out of the room. Her fight with Lucemon's image -his image alone!- had taken more out of her than she wanted to admit.

Still, it was nice to know she hadn't lost her combat edge.

-+-

Mercuremon staggered at the same time as the room shook. "So, they've found an entrance, have they? Then I shall have to finish this quickly. GENEROUS RELECTION!" Instantly, a dark copy of Armormon leaped out of Mercuremon's torso-mirror. "Deal with them. The girl and her cat are mine."

-+-

Sneasel looked around wildly, lost somewhere in a black miasma. "Ryoko? RYOKO!"

"Sneasel."

"Where's Ryoko? I have no time for this."

"Make time," the voice ordered. Somehow, the command in the speaker's voice penetrated Sneasel's fugue, forcing the pokemon to stop and listen. "And answer me a question. Why?"

"Why? Why what?"

"Why Ryoko?"

Sneasel stared in the direction he thought the voice was coming from. "Why what? Why am I her partner?" No answer. "Well? Why what, then?"

"You fight harder than any of the other digimon partners I have seen in your mind to protect her. Yet since entering the Dark Continent, you willfully endanger yourself to protect her, even when it is not necessary. Why?"

"She's my responsibility. I have to protect her."

"From who?"

"Me," Sneasel responded automatically, then stopped.

"The Dark Continent is named for what it does," the voice said. "It plays on the darkness in the hearts of those who enter it. Typically, it manifests as darkness, nothing more.

"But every now and then, a digimon with a troubled heart enters, and the Dark Continent affects the emotions of that digimon. I fear that I have helped in the process."

"S...Seraphimon," Sneasel whispered.

"Yes. I have seen your heart, Sneasel. I know that the dark intent of your mother is not there."

"I am her son," Sneasel replied evenly. The darkness deepened. "I...I'm scared."

"You love her." Sneasel nodded. "You fear you will suffer your mother's fate, and attack her." Another nod. "You will not. Ryoko cares deeply for you, too. The bond you share will prevent anything like that from ever happening. No force I can conceive of can break it. Trust in the bond that you share. Then you shall see the full power that you and she hold. I will help you."

-+-

Ryoko jumped clear as Mercuremon's attack blasted out a chunk of wall. "Hold still now, fool. Company is coming and I must chase all the vermin out of myself." There was a quiver in Mercuremon's voice. The thought that someone might have breached his defenses had shaken his self-confidence. "Now, how shall I dispatch you...ah, I know." Grinning, Mercuremon plunged a hand into one of his shields, and pulled a replica of one of Wolfmon's swords out. It lit up with a greenish-white light, Mercuremon advancing with the weapon held out.

There was a wild cry; Hiroki charged Mercuremon, seeing that Armormon was unable to get clear of his opponent. Mercuremon's other shield moved slightly, and the boy was forced to dodge a beam of light. "Your turn will come. I-" He stopped as his arm was suddenly wrapped in ice.

Sneasel's eyes opened, and he hopped out of Ryoko's arms. "You will not harm Ryoko. Or her friends. Not any more, Mercuremon." Ryoko blinked; Sneasel's voice was, despite the situation, lighter than she remembered it. Indeed, the way he stood was not overtly hostile or threatening.

In a way, it reminded her of Hiroki.

"I'm OK," Armourmon called, still trying to overcome the shadow-copy of himself. "Don't need a hand, thanks for asking."

"So," Mercuremon growled, "you managed to snap out of Asuramon's mind trap. You think you have a chance against me?"

"No, I don't." Mercuremon grinned at Sneasel's statement. "But Ryoko, Seraphimon, and I do." As he spoke, Seraphimon's digicode appeared around Sneasel. "Ryoko!" His partner nodded, digivice on her wrist lighting up.

"Sneasel, warp digivolve to...Guardiangemon!"

-+-

If the situation had been any less dire, Takuya might have fallen over laughing. Focussing their attacks on the weak point Rhino Kabuterimon and Jet Sylphimon had made, the Chosen Children managed to create a large enough hole in the dome to work their way through.

Or would have, had it not been for the green energy web that was revealed as they peeled away the metal. Muttering something dark, Rhino Kabuterimon glanced at Aldamon and Jet Sylphimon. "Give me a lift. Straight up. Tomoki, get clear."

Jet Sylphimon nodded, thinking she knew what the Thunder Hybrid had in mind. She and Aldamon carried Rhino Kabuterimon up higher, then, at his insistence, higher still.

"Can you hit that hole form here?" Aldamon asked.

"Yeah. But not with my cannon. BEAST MODE!" The sudden shifting of Rhino Kabuterimon's body into its rhinoceros-like form caught the two flying hybrids off-guard. The beast fell, angling his body so that it pointed horn-first at the opening.

"He's nuts," Aldamon gasped, flying after the falling beast.

"CONDENSER...STORM!" Crackling with energy, Rhino Kabuterimon slammed into the energy web, with the force of what felt like, to Yuki Angemon's imagination, a high speed train hitting a brick wall.

It was enough. With a shearing noise, the energy web snapped open. "GO!" Aldamon led the charge, flying in through the hole, followed by Yuki Angemon and Jet Sylphimon. They found Junpei sitting there, dazed. And saw Beowulfmon and Reichmon, so caught up in their duel that they had missed everything.

Until Reichmon, seeing that the other Hybrids had invaded, powered up and tackled the Light hybrid, blowing him through another part of the wall.

"Give me a BREAK," Aldamon snarled.

"See? Metal gives under focused pressure..." Junpei muttered as Izumi helped him up.

-+-

Mercuremon staggered, though not from any blow that had been landed. The multiple assaults on Sephirotmon's body were transmitted directly to Mercuremon, showing up as physical blows. The mirror on his torso cracked; the shadow-copy that Mercuremon had made of Armourmon stopped, shimmering. Seeing the opening, the real Armourmon opened up on the copy, decimating it with a hail of energy blasts.

Ryoko grinned. "Wow. I know you're good, Guardiangemon, but..."

"It was not I," the metallic angel replied. He was about the same size as Armourmon, silver, with long blades where his forearms and hands should have been. Metallic wings swayed gently, also with what looked like very sharp edges. "His Beast form has taken severe injury from the other hybrids. Mercuremon...surrender."

"Never!" Mercuremon charged forward, desperation clear in his movements.

"BLADE TORNADO!" The air around the steel hybrid was filled with silvery crescents, too many for Mercuremon to deflect, each one biting into him. He staggered back, digicode ring appearing.

"No...this cannot be!"

"Sure it can," Armourmon growled, weapons aimed at Mercuremon. "FULL FIRE!"

When the barrage died down 20 seconds later, the metal angel shook his head. "Overkill."

"Payback," Armourmon replied. "So, wanna do the honours?"

Ryoko stepped forward, a bit uncertain. "Well, here goes. Digicode SCAN!" The digivice whirred a bit, sending a tingle up Ryoko's arm. Then, Mercuremon's digicode, along with the H Spirit of Steel, were drawn into the digivice.

"Oh, look. Another gift for Kouji," Armourmon sniggered. Sighing, Hiroki kicked him. "Ow! That's no way to treat a partner!"

"That was rude," Hiroki replied by way of explanation. "We'd better find a way out of-" A massive eyeball opened up, pulling everyone into it.

-+-

Both warriors were exhausted, having poured everything they had into the battle. Unfortunately, Beowulfmon was a bit worse off, having been holding back the entire fight. A final staff swing sent the hybrid flying, knocking him out and ending his evolution.

Reichmon staggered back. For all his bravado, he was nearing the end of his strength too. "I could...could finish you now, brother. But I want to see how you did it. How you...took everything I wanted, lived the life I deserved...BLACK THEOREM!"

Both were swallowed up in a globe of darkness, its solidity confirmed when Aldamon, trying to reach Kouji before the attack struck, flew smack into the sphere and crumpled up like a paper airplane.

"Wh...what's happening to me..." Kouji groaned.

"Black Theorem allows me to delve into your mind, brother. Now I can..." Reichmon staggered as the waves of memories hit him. Far different than what Cherubimon had told him to expect. "You...you never knew...? But Cherubimon...Father lied to both of us..." Reichmon knelt, stunned. Kouji, now unconcious, groaned slightly, fully trapped by an unexpected backfire of Black Theorem's effects, forced to relive some of the worst parts of Kouichi's life. Early memories of his birth mother working alone to support him. Forced, first by an unsympathetic court order, then by the force of his father's will, to stay away, both too broken-hearted about the breakup of their marriage to even be able to face each other. Learning, almost by accident, about his twin brother. The fight with his mother, and running away. Coming here, brought by-

"CHERUBIMON!" Kouji screamed, sitting straight up.

The dark dome cleared. "Kouji!" Yuki Angemon yelled, flying over to the boy's side. He stopped when he saw Reichmon kneeling there, rocking back and forth. "Sorcerimon, hurry!"

"We're coming, we're coming," Bokomon groaned, he and Sorcerimon being carried on Rhino Kabuterimon's back. "Take it easy, Junpei!" Neemon, carried aloft by Jet Sylphimon, wasn't complaining at all.

After a few more seconds of the bumpiest ride the wizard digimon had ever experienced, He finally collapsed near the still figure of Reichmon. Leaning on his staff, he summoned up all the power he could, trying to purge the dark energy. "Still...still too powerful. Without Sneasel, it will take time..."

-+-

"CHERUBIMON!" Lucemon's roar shook the castle. Panicked, the angel looked around. "You FOOL! Ophanimon has escaped, and your last servant has fallen. Recapture her, destroy the humans and BRING ME THOSE SPIRITS."

"M...Master, I-"

"MOVE, TRAITOR TO YOUR OWN KIND! Or shall I strip you of your rank and send you into the hands of those who would destroy you?"

"Yes. At once." Cherubimon lifted off the ground, and flew out of the chamber room.

-+-

Ophanimon staggered to the main gateway, relieved to have finally found the exit. Even at this distance, she could sense the presence of the ones she had called to help.

"There may be a chance. But I must hurry."

-+-

Guardiangemon landed a few feet away from the rest of the Chosen Children, allowing Ryoko, Hiroki, and Armadillomon to get off. "Mercuremon has been defeated," the angel said quietly, then advanced. "Is this him?"

"Yes..." Sorcerimon grunted. "We will need Seraphimon's power...to break Cherubimon's hold."

"I understand. Ryoko, help me," Guardiangemon stepped forward, Ryoko following him. Standing in front of Reichmon, the metal angel lifted one bladed hand to the sky. Ryoko shook a little, feeling weak.

To everyone else, they saw a bright beam of light come from the angel and strike through the dark pall that covered the area around them. A silvery moon appeared in the sky, and sent a beam of light back down to Guardiangemon, who then deflected it onto Reichmon. For a brief second, Kouji thought he saw a digicode ring appear around Guardiangemon, and Ryoko. Then the image passed.

Reichmon's armour seemed to shrink a little. "Quickly, someone take the spirits from him," Bokomon cried. Kouji got up, everyone else standing aside. D-Scanner humming, Kouji scanned Reichmon's digicode, taking the two Spirits of Darkness from him. "That's odd," Bokomon remarked. "The spirits look different than I remember."

"Cherubimon corrupted them," Sorcerimon explained. "That's why it took so much power to weaken their hold on Kouichi." There was a cry from behind Guardiangemon, who glowed, became Sneasel, and passed out. Behind him, Izumi held Ryoko, who had also passed out for a second.

"Are you alright," Izumi asked.

"Yeah. I just felt like I ran a marathon," Ryoko answered. "How is...wow."

"Hey, Takuya, you were right." Junpei stood over the now human Kouichi. "He does look like Kouji."

"This is...my brother?" Kouji knelt down by the unconcious figure, not sure what to feel.

"Someone's coming," Tomoki cried, spirit evolving to Yuki Angemon.

Next Episode

-Ophanimon's escape from Cherubimon's castle.
-Sephirotmon's revenge and betrayal
-The battle with the Angel of Beasts, and the miracle evolution.

Digicross Frontier: Darkness into Light, Water into Ice.
-A world suffused with Digimon.-