A/N: Here we go! Today's other update! Let's do this!
Xros-Hero: Oh, you have no idea, my friend. It's only just begun.
ReadingBlueWolf: Blue! Hi! Hmm... lessee... "He did." in chapter 2 was referring to Taiki, meaning he did stop. That was one of the few place I wasn't sure how to correct. Sorry about that! Taiki's intending for Yuu to be reborn... naturally Yuu is rather resistant to the concept. In chapter 3, yesh that is Cutemon and Nene has a very overprotective streak when it comes to her little brother. It's more of a "can they protect him when it's Taiki they're facing?" sort of scenario. I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far!
Edhla: Eddy, you love my work too much, honestly. Hahaha, you're always such a treat to hear from. Thanks!
Thanks to all my reviewers and viewers! Even if you don't like this season, it's a blast for me to write! Now then... onward!
VI. Us
"We all could pretend we were right."
By the time they returned, beaten and exhausted, the dust had settled and there were no stars in the night sky. Yuu almost fell from Sparrowmon's chipped back, trembling. Nene hurried over to catch him, returning her Digimon back to its Xros Loader. Without a word, his sister hugged him tight, murmuring words he thankfully couldn't understand. Over his head, she gave Zenjirou a smile. Zenjirou's cheeks flushed with delight and he stepped inside. Instead of joining the siblings, however, he went to sit next to Akari. Her face was pale, even in the dark.
"Are you okay?" Mentally, he kicked himself. They were in between dimensions being hunted by her best friend. Okay was in nobody's dictionary. Despite this, she nodded, patting at the sand on the ground. "I'm still wondering how a place like this even exists."
"Taiki… he probably created it." Akari didn't glance at him even as she spoke those words, but, even still, there was a look on her face he knew well. He didn't question this idea. Out of all of them, he knew she understood this best. "This place is full of dust and debris, locked up and unchanging. That was… how the world was."
The quiet murmurs fell silent as she spoke. Akari's amber eyes looked toward the entrance of the cave, listless and amber. "This world… where only sadness and anger are spoken of freely, wasn't that the place we came from?"
"Akari-chan…" Nene murmured over her brother's head. She saw a rather manic look there, something unfortunate.
The redhead looked at her and smiled. "I don't hate our world, either one. However, I think Taiki does, at least a little bit. He wouldn't love it so much as to want to save it."
"He wanted to save it because Shoutmon did."
"Then why didn't he simply leave once Shoutmon died?" she asked sharply. "Stop pretending you know him. None of you know him. He wanted everyone to live." The last word cracked in her mouth and she stopped, looking away.
"I know he still does…"