A/N:Good, I'm not too exhausted to make an update. College orientation guys, best thing in the world until you crash. Also left me a little behind on this story. I will attempt to catch up for Sunday's update (even though I'm ahead...)

This will likely not be updated after Tuesday, unless I have enough time before I leave to post one more. I will be back the following Tuesday with an update if I can't, Wednesday if I can. Yeah, it's complicated.

Thanks go to Xros-Hero for reviewing! As always I appreciate it. Memorial Day will be either updated tonight... or Sunday. Sorry about that.

Anyway, enjoy!

V. Times

"Did we all once laugh together?"

Zenjirou didn't speak a word while they ran. Mercy. They were surviving on mercy, frugal change these days. Yuu puffed anxiously, adrenaline having taxed his already shot energy reserves. "Keep going Yuu!" he urged when the other boy almost tripped. He didn't look back at the blonde, knowing how dangerous it would be in this situation. "We've almost reached Sparrowmon."

"I… I know Zenjirou-san," Yuu said weakly, pushing his legs forward. "I… that light…"

"What… about it?"

Yuu paused a moment, taking a few deep breaths to move with. "That… wasn't right…. Has Taiki-san ever had a red light around him?"

"Yes, but…" He slowly came to a halt, looking up at the sky. Yuu wheezed, rubbing anxiously at goosebumped arms. "Never like that. It was brighter then." He still kept his eyes away from Yuu, holding the Star Blade tighter in his hands. He was lucky it hadn't been crushed earlier. "Back then… we were young… and we had hope."

"You mean he did," Yuu said quietly, looking up to the sky for a large yellow blur to dive toward them.

Zenjirou nodded grimly. "He had enough for all of us… and we used him. We didn't want to betray him." His hands curled tightly until they bled, nails sinking into his palm. He watched Yuu climb on before swinging his blade behind him. The red energy crashed into it and threw him into the Digimon's wing. He coughed and Yuu yanked him up by his free hand. The Star Blade began to waver and the swordsman stared at it, willing it to keep its form.

"Forgive us, brother!" hissed a high, usually excitable voice. "The General… he hits hard!"

"No kidding," Zenjirou puffed, climbing on and clutching Yuu's waist. "Sparrowmon, move!"

"How about a please?" The jet took off anyway, climbing into the sky as quickly as he dared.

Yuu winced. "Please Sparrowmon, we need to get back to Nee-san!"

"We need to defeat him!" Sparrowmon spun to the side and the scarlet wisps grazed one of his wings. His speed dipped only a moment before he flew off again. Taiki was running, chasing the quickly flying Digimon down the earth. "Sooner or later, he might learn to fly too!"

"At this time, wouldn't that be the least of your problems?" Taiki said, calling this from the ground. The scarlet light gleamed in his eyes alone, but the smile remained. "Please don't go too far away now, I want to fight together!"

Sparrowmon hissed. "Shut up! Random Laser!" He raised his guns and fired. "I trusted you! You were supposed to protect Nene! I won't forgive you for this!"

"Sparrowmon, stop!" Yuu screamed over the Digimon's shouting. "It won't work!"

"I don't care!"

Taiki watched all of this with a small, slightly delicate sigh. "You just can't learn." He raised a hand. "We'll play some more tomorrow." The red light slammed directly into the jet's chest. The Digimon screamed, louder than either human as he soared backwards into the windy, clouded desert.

Taiki frowned. "Maybe I hit them too hard. I always thought they could get up from just about anything." A sigh. "Oh well… they have to be better than that if that angel thinks I'm the only one who can get rid of them. " Closing his black eyes, he vanished.