Sorry for the long update. Had SAT prep and tutors. I only have weekends to work on this. :( I'm just so glad I finally updated. Enjoy chapter 10!

Chapter 10: The Digimon Tsumi

? - Sasha Alkaev

Sasha woke up in an unknown area. No one was around, not even Vetermon. "Hello? Anyone here?" She was in a white room, reminiscent of where she had met Isamu years ago. Looking around, there was no furniture or anything. Just her, the walls, and the floor. Sasha tried to open the door, but it was locked. She tried several other ways and kicked the door in frustration.

Time passed, and Sasha didn't know how long it had been. More than an hour for sure. By this time, she was sitting on the floor, tapping her leg in an irritated manner. Sasha took out her D-Links... but it wasn't there.

"What the- where'd I put it?" Sasha body checked herself.

The D-Links was nowhere in sight.

"Huh?"

Sasha tugged at her ponytail, trying to think of the last place she'd seen it. A ponytail?

A mirror suddenly puffed into existence, and Sasha got a good look at herself.

I'm... eleven or ten? Sasha saw the high strung ponytail and the long, long hair she used to have. All of her features were younger, and she was wearing the ruffly, feminine tank top her mother forced her to wear when she was little. The shorts she wore were denim, and the pouch to her side was only carrying her plastic whistle... that she was sure that she had lost long ago.

"Help, help, Sasha!" A voice could be heard that reverberated throughout the whole room.

"Who's there?"

"Sasha, help!" Another voice sounded, and it was Yoshi's.

"Where are you?" Sasha was furiously trying to open the door. "Yoshi, I can't save you if you don't tell me where you are!"

"Save me! Sasha, hurry!" Now it was Seiko's.

"Just wait a minute, I'll get there as soon as this door gets out of the way!" Sasha kicked the door repeatedly, but no budge.

Now Kiyoshi spoke. "Sasha, they're almost here!"

The desperate sounds got louder and louder as Sasha struggled with the door. At this point, she began kicking and punching the walls too.

"Sasha!" Minoru's voice sounded nothing like Sasha ever heard before.

Everyone's scream's except Isamu's began to fill the room.

"Ah, no, it's not too late." Sasha weakly hit the door and slumped to the ground. "Wait, I'll save everyone. Just, hold out for a minute or two."

"Too late."

Sasha heard Isamu behind her, and she swerved to face him. He too, was now as young as her. Those goggles of his hung around his neck, and he was wearing a red shirt. Isamu's jacket was gray, and his jeans were black. His brown hair was styled to be neater than it was now. The eyes he had were narrow, with an arrogant air to them. The complete opposite of his usual good cheer.

Isamu smirked and recited the lines in Sasha's past vision.

"I want to be the hero always on time. That way, everyone wouldn't get hurt in the first place. What happens if you or we're late? Then what would happen to everyone?"

"..." Sasha brought down her head in shame.

"See, because of you, everyone perished."

"What are you talkin' about?"

Isamu smiled, but in an unfriendly manner. " Oh my, you don't even remember? How foolish can you be?" He brought a hand to his mouth and pretended to act surprised.

"Well, how am I supposed to know. Isn't this a dream?"

"A dream can mean many things. For example, when you are being chased in a dream, it could mean you're running away from something in reality. Or, you might not be paying attention to something that's in your sight." Isamu summoned a chair out of nowhere and sat on it. He leaned back into it and called forth another in front of him. "Care to take a seat?"

Sasha sat down. The two created a tense atmosphere.

Isamu had one leg up and one leg down. He was resting his head on his knee. "As I was saying, being chased could also mean that you feel threatened."

"Okay, but it's not like I'm bein' chased or anythin'. Besides, why am I dreamin' about you in the first place? Young and annoyin'.

"You're young too Princess," Isamu pointed out, "it's not my fault we're both like this. It's your dream after all."

Is that my nickname or something? "Then how do I get out of here? It's my dream so can't I control what's goin' on?"

Isamu sighed and looked to the side. "Just because it's your dream doesn't mean you're in control of it all the time. There's some things beyond control Princess. Everyone has limits in dreams and reality."

"No. It's possible to achieve anythin' through hard work or by other means." Sasha was becoming annoyed by this version of Isamu.

"Well you obviously don't believe your own words if I'm telling you this." Isamu's smirk grew a little wider; his eyes seemed to pierce through Sasha's soul.

Sasha stood up, angered. "What? Of course I do!" Her little fists balled up, and she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

Isamu sighed, shrugged, and shook his head. The smirk on his face never leaving. "That's what they all say, refusing to admit it to the end. All such stubborn fools. Deep in your hearts you can't admit it until the consequences are laid out."

"Why you..." Sasha punched Isamu, and he went sprawling across the floor.

"Ah ah ah," Isamu stood up and waggled his finger, "resorting to violence, and on your own friends. Wonder what this says about you." He brought a hand to the cheek that was stinging.

Sasha just stared at what she just did in horror. I would never punch Isamu, what am I doing? The hand she had used was hurting like hell. Wait, is this Isamu? He would never do this, right? I mean, this is a dream, I'm ten years old again. No way is any of this real. The reflection of the mirror still displayed her ten year old self. Sasha felt her ponytail as proof. Yes, this is a dream, I just have to wake myself up. She pinched herself. Nothing happened. Sasha squeezed her eyes shut and pinched herself dozens of times. When Sasha opened her eyes, Isamu was right up her face.

"Aahh!" Sasha stumbled back and fell. Isamu peered down at her.

Isamu's eyes narrowed down even more than they already were, and his smirk turned into a frightening glare. "I will tell you this once more. There will always be events that you'll never be able to control. Instead of dealing everything by yourself, get help. Don't ever forget your limitations." Isamu held his hand out and Sasha took it, albeit hesitantly.

"I won't." Sasha looked Isamu deep in his narrow eyes.

Isamu smiled genuinely for the first time. From his jacket pocket, he took out her D-Links and placed it in her hands.

"Clockmon told you to follow your heart right?"

Sasha nodded.

"Good. Just remember the second part. Listen to others, alright? Emotions are a strong force Sasha Alkaev. Keep them in check." Isamu bent down and kissed her hand. "Good luck Princess, and keep believing in your heroes."

Sasha stared at her hand and rubbed it off. Isamu laughed at her reaction. The door clicked behind them.

"Ride's waiting."

? - Kiyoshi Suzuki

"Mom, when are we visiting dad again?" Kiyoshi was seven, the green, over-sized jacket he wore was much longer on him back then.

"Hn."

These days his mom didn't really reply back to him anymore. For the past month, she hadn't been very responsive to him. She was looking elsewhere, staring off into the sky.

The two were holding hands and were walking back home from the hospital. Back at the hospital, his dad's pallid face heavily contrasted his ebony hair. His dad's smile was weak, and his eyes had dark circles underneath him.

"Is Dad really really sick? Is there a way to make him better? He's not going to go away, right Mom? Right?" Kiyoshi began to swing his mom's arm, imitating the families he saw passing by.

"Hn..." Kiyoshi's mom knelt down and faced him. She put her hands in his."I don't know Kiyoshi, I don't know."

Kiyoshi's eyes began to water. "There's always, a cure or something, right?"

Kiyoshi's mom closed her eyes and shook her head, her messy brown hair becoming strewn around her face. She wiped the tears trailing down his face. "I'm looking for it Kiyoshi, really I am. Once I find it, daddy will get all better, alright?"

"What is it?" Kiyoshi was curious. "Since mom's smart, you'll find it fast, right?"

"I will." Kiyoshi's mom was serious. "With the best of my abilities."

"Pinky promise?" Kiyoshi brought out his hand.

Kiyoshi's mom chuckled, a little grin appearing on her permanent stoic face. "I promise. Come on, there's a lot of work I have to do."

Kiyoshi and his mom walked to take the subway back to Otaru.

"Ow!" Kiyoshi bumped into something and his mom let go of his hand. She kept walking while he tried to catch up.

"Eh?" Kiyoshi pounded on some invisible barrier separating his mom and him. "Mom! Come back!"

A crowd swallowed her up.

Kiyoshi kept calling out. "Mom! Where are you going? Mom!"

The scene changed and Kiyoshi was ten. He was back there again, that morning when they had entered the Digital World. Kiyoshi was seeing the smiling kids and their families wandering around Sapporo Factory. Couples were holding hands in a romantic manner while the families were happily swinging their arms together.

Ever since that day, I was always envious of what I never had, or in other terms, lost. The three years that passed proved it. A loving family, so many friends than you could never imagine. A brother or sister. Just living life with no worries.

Every time I saw someone happy, I couldn't help but wish them bad luck. I felt as if it wasn't fair that I was the one always getting the shaft.
I know that I shouldn't think this way, but I want to have what everyone else has. Then I could fit in and be a "normal" person.

Kiyoshi stood up and walked around Sapporo Factory. People of twos or more constantly passed, having a good time. He grimaced a bit at every passerby. Why am I the only one alone? Kiyoshi then noticed how everyone besides him had a companion.

Something compelled Kiyoshi to stop. He didn't know why, for some reason he couldn't move anymore. The whole time he saw people walk past him, laughing, talking, and more.

"Natsuki!" Kiyoshi turned from his spot and saw Natsuki meeting up a group of friends. He could easily identify her by her exquisite ribbon that reminded him of a butterfly. Those droopy eyes of hers emanated a kind, yet mysterious feeling. "Natsuki, over here!"

Natsuki looked back. Her eyes suddenly looked empty and lifeless as she stared at Kiyoshi. It reminded him of dead fish. He gulped.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something." Natsuki turned to face her friends. "It was nothing."

"Okay, Natsuki," a kid chuckled, "let's go."

Kiyoshi was in shock on what just occurred. He tried to reach out towards Natsuki, but she was getting farther and farther away.

Take me with you. I don't want to be alone!

"Wait! Don't go! Who else will I have left?" Kiyoshi shut his eyes and sat down. He curled up and heard the people pass by, all laughing at his plight.

Someone began singing. It sounded very familiar to Kiyoshi, even though he never heard the melody sung by anyone else besides his mother. However, his mother hummed in a melancholy voice. This one was soothing, and had a serene feel to it. He stood up and followed the direction of the song.

? - Seiko Sasaki

"Setsuko, today was unsuccessful as well." Seiko's father put his hands to his head.

"It's alright Seiji." Seiko's mother, Setsuko, placed her arms around Seiko's father, Seiji. "If you fail, try try again. Isn't that what we always tell Seiko?"

"I'm beginning to give up." Seiji sighed. "Should we try to get everyone together again?"

"We can't!" Setsuko grabbed her husband's cheeks and stared intently into his eyes. "For now, it'll just be the two of us. Our daughter's happy and well. Think about Kiku and Hisato, losing Hitomi. I wouldn't know what I would do if we lost Seiko."

Seiji took Setsuko's hands in his. "What did happen to those two anyway? They moved ,and we have no means of getting in touch with them."

Setusko shook her head. "I don't know. I was quite close with Hisato. I lost contact around a month ago. He hasn't replied to any texts and emails I've sent him."

"I see." Seiji tapped his finger on the glass table. His coffee was getting cold. "By the way, what will we do with Seiko's hair? It's unnatural."

"I already bought her a wig the color of the hair she had previously." Setsuko laid down on the couch. Seiji propped her head on his lap. She closer her eyes. "She'll be starting school tomorrow. No one needs to know about her blue hair. Our eyes stand out enough in the first place." Setsuko opened her eyes, and the blue-gray color reflected against Seiji's glasses.

"Seiko's a good kid. She'll understand."

"I know. We raised her."

"Still, signing her up for all those academics and extracurricular activities. You sure she can handle all this?" Seiji whistled at the thought.

"Of course she can. I wouldn't set her up for failure." Setsuko raised herself up partway and kissed Seiji on the lips. "That will be the end of our discussion."

Seiji was blushing.

"What, didn't expect it?" Setsuko teased.

"Well... tell me these things earlier!" Seiji was beet red.

"Okay. I'm going to kiss you again." Setsuko kissed him on the cheek this time.

The two laughed. However, they didn't notice the blue haired girl peering through the crack in the door. As soon as their laughter started, the girl took the initiative to walk up the stairs. The fish patterned nightgown flowed behind her, the ends looking like rippling water.

Seiko's was still processing what she had just heard. Should I be angry that my parents are keeping secrets from me? I know that they believe it is for my own benefit. She opened the decorated door of her room. A cool blue interior met her. A wall of painted marine life met her across the room.

Seiko sat down and turned on a lamp in her room. It created a soft glow as she began writing in her diary.

Lately, my parents have been lying to me a lot. Whenever I ask questions regarding what happened around two months ago, I never get an answer. They always change the topic. What is the big secret? Why do I have my blue hair? In the picture of six months ago, I have ordinary brown hair, the color of my father's.

Back to the lying which is more important. What should I do? What should anyone do if they found out their dear loved ones lie? It is not a minute problem either. The secret is on a much grander scale than I probably believe it is. With the mention of Hitomi, I should try to investigate all I can on her. However, that is tricky. I do not even know her last name. Kiku and Hisato are her parents first names. That is my only lead.

All I know is that Hitomi is gone of this earth, and her parents are devastated. Did I know her? Maybe that would explain the things I do not remember a little before these two months. I have noticed that there are gaps in my memory when I try to recall certain time periods. If I keep this diary, I can record anything important, before I forget again. I will update periodically on anything I can remember, as well as anything on Hitomi. Hopefully, info is easy to find.

Seiko closed the diary and placed the pen on top of it. She opened a music box, that played a melody. It reminded Seiko of the sea. Laying down on her bed, the soft music lulled her to sleep.

XXXXX

"Seiko! The wig better be on your head when I see you!"

"Yes mother."

Seiko adjusted the sienna wig with the help of one of her maids. One day, I will be able to do it myself. I don't like to depend on others. Especially for something trivial like this. The sienna hair covered her blue locks.

"How do I look?" Seiko twirled around a bit, letting her new hair fly.

"Quite pretty Lady Seiko. The boys will be flocking towards you."

"Mrs. Akane, please do not call me Lady Seiko. Just call me Seiko. I am younger than you. You are as old as my father and mother. Also, I do not like crowds in the first place. It is my first day, and I do not want to attract attention." Seiko tied one of the two fish bands on the left side of her hair. It seemed as if the fish was swimming in the wig.

"I believe that's impossible. Everyone in this house knows of your beauty. I will not stop calling you Lady Seiko. Even if I was a friend of your father, I'm a maid at the moment. I must do what my job entails. And as a student, there are things that you must do as well." Akane handed Seiko her bag. "Have a nice day."

Seiko nodded and stepped out.

"Mother, does the wig seem out of place to you?" Seiko copied the same twirl eariler.

"It does, but just blame that on our eyes. Besides that, it looks natural."

The eyes of the same color blinked at the other.

"Seiko, just take the path straight to school. It's a ten minute walk, and it's where you'll be seen easily. Of course, we've also sent Jun to follow you in case anything happens."

"Yes father." Seiko bowed to both her parents. "I will be going now." She stepped outside and met the blinding sun.

Seiko opened her eyes and was face to face with Sasha.

"Woah!" Sasha jumped at Seiko's sudden awakening. Seiko sat up to see the Locomon nowhere in sight. The Digimon with Sasha and her were Vetermon, Eismon, Wizardmon, and Terriermon.

"Seiko, you alright?" Eismon looked extremely worried.

"Yes, do not worry." Seiko smiled at him. She stood up and brushed away the dirt on her clothes. "Any clue where we are?"

"We landed safely, but very far away from the others." Wizardmon was besides Sasha and Vetermon. "The Locomon is in the other direction of the railway."

"How far away are they?" Eismon questioned. "I don't hear anyone close to us."

"A few hundred miles for sure." Vetermon took out her sword. "We better start walking for now. We'll surely spend more than a day getting back to the tracks."

"Do you think the others are safe?" Terriermon didn't look pleased by Vetermon's words.

"I trust they are. What else can we do?" Seiko looked to the direction of tracks far away.

"Seiko, you're right." Sasha stood besides her. "Don't worry, I know they'll be fine."

"Of course." Seiko turned to Sasha.

"If they're in trouble, we can swoop in to save the day!" Sasha made a hero pose.

"You really love heroes Sasha."

"Seiko, heroes are the greatest. Ever watch the shows?"

Seiko shook her head.

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes." Sasha spoke quite intelligently.

"Benjamin Disraeli? Sasha, you know of him? I'm quite amazed you know a quote from that man."

"No of course I don't Seiko. I'm not as smart as Yoshi or you. I just got it off a blog. The person loves heroes like me. And anime and all that kind of stuff. The blogger's name is Saii Muto."

? - Yoshi Takahashi

Yoshi woke up in some type of hospital room. An IV was in his arm. He panicked and yanked it out.

"Ow ow ow..." Yoshi grabbed at his arm to stop the slight blood flow. Shouldn't have removed it that fast. It hurts like crazy.

The window reflected Yoshi's appearance. His hair was shorter and very unruly. The hospital colors matched the dull white of the room. As he inspected himself, there was one strange thing.

"How old am I?" Yoshi said this to himself as he felt and touched his face. This is just a dream. No way I'm back here again. No way.

"Yoshi. You're up. You should be in bad. You also took your IV off again. It's good for you, please keep it on."

The nurse, Akihito Tanaka, approached Yoshi. His laid back smile put Yoshi a bit at ease.

"Where am I?"

"The hospital of course, where else? You say that a lot. Sure there's nothing wrong with that smart mind of yours? Hmm? What are you doing?"

Yoshi began to rummage through the books near his bedside. I read this three years ago. Yoshi threw a book aside and reached for others. The Mind and How it Works. Read it three years ago too. Yoshi tossed the book aside. Memories, They're Always With Us. This one too, just read it a day ago.

"Tanaka, there was a kid lost here in the hospital yesterday, right?"

"Strange question kiddo. Yeah, there was. Little boy, too. Had a huge green jacket. Funny thing, he's my cousin. Visiting his dad who's staying in the hospital."

"Really?" Sounds like Kiyoshi. Who else wears something like that? Wait... Tanaka and Kiyoshi are related? Besides that...

"This is all just a dream, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm with everyone back in the Locomon. We just crashed, and I'm probably okay."

Akihito led Yoshi back to the bed. "I really think you should rest some more. You're spouting nonsense."

"Bu-"

"Sit." Tanaka wasn't smiling anymore.

Yoshi gulped and obeyed. Tanaka left and the room became much more menacing. Yoshi jumped at the sight of the IV needle again. It made him feel light headed. Got to get out of here. Have to. Yoshi trudged his way to the door and turned the knob. The door wouldn't budge.

"Come on, seriously?" Yoshi kept turning the knob to no effect.

*Bang*

"Ah!" Yoshi swiveled around. The sky outside was pitch black. Eyes began to appear from outside the window. Yoshi backed away and tried to open the door. Desperation and panic overtook him, and he was fervently turning the knob.

"How much do you remember?"

"You don't want to go back to the hospital again, am I right?"

"Remember! That'll get you out faster."

"Stop!" Yoshi tried to block out the sounds. The eyes seemed that they were laughing at him. "Tanaka!"

"How much did he forget?"

"Apparently, everything up until he woke up."

"Cause?"

"No one knows!"

Yoshi was pounding on the door. The walls as well. "Help!"

"Memories. They are powerful. It's like losing a part of your life in a sense if you were to lose them."

Hitomi?

"Yes it would."

Dynasmon?

There was a sudden shift, and Yoshi was back there again, with Hitomi, Dynasmon, and Magomon. Hitomi got off the windowsill and skipped up to Yoshi.

"Hello there Yoshi. You're safe now." Hitomi giggled into her oversized cardigan, the sleeves hiding her hands.

"Um, thank you." Yoshi was calmed by the serenity of the place.

Hitomi pointed towards his chest, where his heart was. "As an outsider of this memory, do you feel my choice was correct? Be honest, what does your heart say?"

Yoshi looked down, grabbing his arm where the IV used to be. "Well, I think you were wrong."

"Eh?" Hitomi was stunned. "Why?" Her little figure began trembling.

"I think that you should have trust us. Don't shoulder everything by yourself." Yoshi rested his hands on her tiny shoulders. He noticed that he wasn't the same height as her. Yoshi guessed that he was his correct age again. "It's true. Sacrifices have to be made. However, I think that this situation could have gone differently."

"Then, what should I have done? I know that you would have made the same choice. That's why I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yeah." Yoshi bent down to face her. "I probably would have done the same at your age, no questions about that. The thing is, you can't undo the mistakes you make. But, you can fix them. If you were still alive, I knew that's what you would have done."

Hitomi nodded.

"Tell you what, I'll help you. I'll repair everything that went wrong."

"Can you really?" Hitomi's eyes were shining.

"To the best of my ability. Promise."

"Don't you dare break it like Dynasmon. Okay?"

"I won't."

The two made a promise under the glittering stars.

? - Isamu Ito

"Isamu. I'm a bit scared." Natsuki grabbed his hand.

"Meeting people is always a bit scary." Isamu squeezed her hand a bit. "However, wondrous encounters also come from it."

"Are you the two new kids?" A boy much older than the two approached them. "Name's Mamoru Yamamoto. It's great to meet you. Come over here, the other kids can't wait to meet you too." Mamoru smiled at them, quite goofily.

Natsuki smiled shyly.

Isamu's frown didn't change. "How much people are there besides you Yamamoto?"

"It's three others besides me. A girl and two boys. They're names are Hitomi Suzuki, Minoru Yamamoto, and Kiyoshi Suzuki. And call me Mamoru." He put his hands behind his head and was looking to the ceiling.

"Um, Mamoru. Any one the same age as me?" Natsuki peeked nervously from Isamu's frame.

"Kiyoshi's a year younger than you. Minoru's the same age as you Isamu. Hitomi's a year younger than Minoru. I'm sixteen."

So Kiyoshi's six, Hitomi's eight, and Minoru's nine.

"Mamoru, are these the new people?" A petite girl with long black hair sauntered into the room. She was carrying a notebook with a few writing utensils. "It's very nice to meet you." A warm smile from her caused Isamu to relax. "I'm Hitomi Suzuki. You two must be Isamu Ito and Natsuki Ito." A red ribbon was tied to the side of her hair, keeping her long bangs out of her face.

For some reason, Isamu felt his frown diminishing. What about her makes me lower my guard? "It's nice to meet you too." Isamu smiled back. Natuski bowed to Hitomi.

"Ah, no need to be polite. You're only a year younger than I am." Hitomi tried to balance the huge load of items in her arms. "I would shake your hands if I wasn't carrying all these things. Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink." She giggled at her own joke.

Mamoru and Isamu groaned at the sudden, horrible pun. Natsuki didn't seem to get it.

"Hitomi, your puns still need work." Mamoru took everything except the notebook.

"Really? My father told me that one yesterday. I thought it was pretty good, and thank you." Hitomi giggled again and after a few more formalities, the four set off.

"Oof!" Isamu couldn't leave the room. "Wha?"

The room changed to his room, in the present time. The computers littered around him gave an ominous feel. The window was closed, and the curtains were drawn. The room was quite dark.

"I'm back at my house? The time?" Isamu checked the time on one of his computers. July. The same day as we went to the Digital World. The computer suddenly turned off. Pressing the power button didn't help at all. Isamu tried to unlock his door. It wouldn't open no matter how he tried. He sighed and laid down on his bed. Giving up, he tried to rest. As he closed his eyes, Isamu felt something poking his stomach repeatedly. Cracking an eyelid, he saw himself face to face with a humanoid Digimon.

"Isamu! How long are you going to be here? It's been three years and you haven't left your room." The Digimon tossed him out of his bed.

Bewildered, Isamu rubbed his head. He felt a bump surfacing. "Who're you?"

"Fuegomon, just a Digimon you used to know." The Digimon was a girl, and she had a dress made of red material with detached, flowing sleeves. The skirt part was made of a multicolored material. Every swish of the skirt looked like dancing flames. Fuegomon had ash colored skin, and her eyes had a fiery look to them. Her hair was long and a crimson red. A mark of a lion was on her right arm, near her shoulder. "Isamu, let's get out of here!" She tugged on his arm, and he stood up.

"I can't get out of here. I already tried a few times."

"Never give up. That's for losers. You told me that, didn't you?"

"Not that I'm aware of." Isamu tried to recall anything about Fuegomon. All he could think about was Kasaimon.

"Kasaimon's waiting for you on the other side right? Go on already. Just open the door!" Fuegomon shoved Isamu towards in a pushy manner.

"Alright already." Isamu tried to turn the knob. It wouldn't budge. "See, it's useless."

"It will be if you think it going to. Just believe that it'll open, and it will. Everyone's waiting for you on the other side." Fuegomon crossed her arms, tapping her foot. She was quite impatient for a Digimon as tall as Vetermon.

"No one's waiting for me." Isamu lowered his head, shaking it. "I just stayed home for three years. I was afraid of going out for some reason. When I'm with others, I'm a burden."

"Then be empathetic." Fuegomon flicked his forehead. "Listen to others. That'll get you somewhere. Everyone has problems you know, from the incident involving Hitomi. They need solving. Who cares if you stayed home for three years, you shut in? That was then, this is now. Change. That's the best thing you can do."

"You say it so easily." Isamu rubbed his forehead.

Fuegomon put her hands on her hips. "You know, you used to a lot more confident back then. Arrogant too. Your eyes were more like this." Fuegomon used her fingers to narrow her eyes. "Where'd all that pride go?"

Isamu almost bit his tongue. Did I really look like that? "Besides that, change isn't instantaneous. It's best to take it little by little, am I right? I mean, if I want to help others, shouldn't I change first?"

Fuegomon blew the hair out of her face. "That's true. However, people can also change by helping others. I think that's the best path for you."

Isamu felt relieved by Fuegomon's advice. With newfound confidence, Isamu opened the door. "Thanks Fuegomon. I'm going now. You coming?"

"Nah dude," Fuegomon hopped on the bed and sat down, crossing her legs. She sat in a regal manner. "I'll stay here. I'll be your guardian angel or something. Kasaimon's as well. Look out for the little kiddo, alright?"

"I will." Isamu stepped outside, leaving Fuegomon in the confinements of his room.

"Wah!" Isamu sat up, bumping heads with Yoshi.

"Ow!" Yoshi had a red mark on his forehead.

"Sorry, sorry." Isamu helped him up. "Yoshi, something wrong?"

"Eh?" Yoshi looked confused.

"Your grabbing your arm. Is it hurt?"

"Ah!" Yoshi let go and became flustered. He started stuttering and backing away, tripping over a small pebble. Dimon caught Yoshi. Isamu didn't notice her there until she had moved. It was hard to discern her in the dark environment.

"Yoshi, stop tripping," Dimon giggled, "this is Sasha's job, not mine."

Yoshi blushed a bit. "It's not like it's my fault!"

"Yoshi likes Sasha! Yoshi and Sasha kissing in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Dimon rang out loud, at the top of her lungs.

"Dimon!" Lopmon covered Dimon's mouth. "There could be enemies abound! Be careful."

"It's Yoshi and Sasha?" Kasaimon stared at Yoshi with incredulous eyes. Isamu did too.

"Wha...what are you saying?" Yoshi's red face deepened. "We're just friends."

Sensing Yoshi's increasing embarrassment, Isamu tried to change the subject. "Lueurmon's not here. Is this everybody?"

"Yup!" The three Digimon chorused. Yoshi nodded.

"When I woke up, there was only the five of us." Yoshi began to look worried. "Where do you think everyone else is? I just hope that Kiyoshi and Minoru are with some of the Digimon that can digivolve."

"Yeah." Isamu began to take in his surroundings. It was quite dark. Their group could be easily ambushed if they weren't careful. "I know they'll be alright. Have faith."

"What's that?" Kasaimon was trying to make out some shapes coming towards them in the dark haze.

"Duck!" Dimon pushed Kasaimon to the ground. Using her shadows, Dimon sweeped everyone else off their feet.

"Oof!" Isamu's head hurt again.

A blast of high pressured water almost grazed Isamu. He sweated. That was close.

"Sonic Shadow!"

Dimon aimed towards the sky. There was no noise of contact. She grew irritated and bit her thumb. "It's Witchmon and Boogeymon! Careful! Yoshi, digivolve me now!"

"Me too!" Kasaimon rushed to stand besides Dimon.

Isamu and Yoshi aimed their D-Links and digivolved their respective partners.

"Dimon digivolves to Assombrirmon!"

"Kasaimon digvolves to Honomon!"

"Spearing Chains!"

"Pentagon Fire!"

"Aquary Pressure!"

"Ruby Eye!"

The four attacks canceled each other out.

"Just you two and Lopmon? This is going to be easy." Witchmon stepped out of the black haze, along with Boogeymon.

Boogeymon raised his trident, inspecting it. "No Lueurmon with you?"

Assombrirmon bit her lip, frustrated. "I can take you on with Honomon by my side! As well as Lopmon!"

"We don't need help." Honomon, readied his fists.

Isamu wasn't too sure about that. Looking at Yoshi, Isamu saw that he probably felt the same.

"Shadow Scythe!"

Assombrirmon summoned her scythe.

"We're screwed." Yoshi moaned. "If only Lueurmon was here."

"Hey hey," Isamu fiddled with his goggles. "Don't write us off so soon."

"How are we going to get out of this?" Lopmon stated before running up to Assombrirmon and Honomon.

"Will my assistance help?" A voice emerged from the shadows. "I may not be Lueurmon, but I am stronger." Magomon appeared behind Isamu and Yoshi.

? - Minoru Yamamoto

"Minoru! Kiyoshi!" Hitomi peeped her head into the room. She seemed to be tugging someone. "Come on, don't be shy!" An aloof boy and timid girl entered the room.

"The name's Isamu Ito." The boy bowed slightly.

"Natsuki Ito. Please take care of me." The girl quickly bowed and partly hid herself behind Isamu.

Kiyoshi stood up and bowed deeply, a complete ninety degrees. "Kiyoshi Suzuki. Please take care of me too."

Minoru stood up and brought his hand out to Isamu. "Minoru Yamamoto."

Isamu shook it back. "Nice to meet you too."

"Now that we're all acquainted, I'll be reading you a story." Mamoru took out some papers and cleared his throat. "Sit down in a circle please."

Once everyone was situated, Isamu spoke up. "So, why are we doing this?"

"Because I said so." Mamoru began shifting through the papers. "It's a good way to introduce what our parents are working on. Ah, here's the title. 'The Story of the Digimon Tsumi.'"

"Digimon?" Natsuki piped up in a quivering, barely audible voice.

"It's short for Digital Monsters." Kiyoshi explained. "They live in the Digital World, also known as the Digiworld."

"Who made all of this up?" Isamu looked to the title. "It says it's you Hitomi."

"Yes," Hitomi's eyes sparkled," our parents used this as the basis of their project. A simple story became something much larger. Isn't it exciting?"

"Minoru drew the pictures." Kiyoshi's eyes also began sparkling. "They're awesome right?"

"And they are?" Isamu pointed to the Digimon on the cover.

"The shrouded ones are the Digimon Tsumi. The ones visible are King Drasil and his Royal Knights." Minoru voiced.

Hitomi leaned on Minoru's shoulder and held his hand. Minoru blushed a bit. She was holding Kiyoshi's hand also. Isamu was looking quite interested about learning of their parent's project. Looking at the two of them, Isamu smirked at Minoru's blush. Natsuki was clutching his sleeve, prepared to listen.

"Okay, I'll really begin reading now." Mamoru began.

"The Digimon Tsumi"

Ever since the Digital World existed, so did King Drasil. Rumors are that he created the world. Thirteen brave Digimon became his Royal Knights. They protected the peace brought by their powerful master. With Ogudomon, the Super Demon Lord sealed, the world was not as chaotic as it had once been. Of course there was still discord around. What world doesn't?

Seven Digimon, the Digimon Tsumi, ran amok causing order in the world to become broken once more. The Digimon Tsumi were named representative of the seven deadly sins: sloth, lust, greed, wrath, gluttony, envy, and pride. The Royal Knights subdued these seven after long, tiresome fights. Reformed, these seven were given a second chance to redeem themselves. The Digimon Tsumi took it, and set out to repair the damage they had done. Their names? In respective order of the sins stated: Gnistmon, Vetermon, Eismon, Illusionistamon, Lueurmon, Germogliomon, and Fuegomon.

That's right. The Digimon Tsumi is our digmon partners. "Were" now. Who are the new Digimon Tsumi? I don't know. The Digital World evolved further than our knowledge. If our parents never worked on this project, none of this would have transpired. Scratch that, if Hitomi and I never created Digimon none of this would have happened. Why didn't Hitomi and I stop expanding the world? With every bit we added, the world became more vivid and clear to the adults. For us, it was creating the dangers that awaited us. The seven of us and our families would be living happily ever after if our parents was never introduced to the idea. Hitomi would still be alive.

Nonetheless, time moves on at its own pace, dragging everyone else along with it. I need to catch up, I can't let myself be in the dirt anymore. I won't give up like last time. It's going to be different. No one is going to die, and good will triumph. I'll do anything to achieve that.

Minoru woke up to slight singing. It sounded like a lullaby. He noticed that he was holding hands with someone. To his right, Hitomi was there. Kiyoshi was sleeping, using her lap as a pillow. Hitomi. Hitomi...Hitomi!

"You two okay? The Locomon's fine." Lueurmon burst through the shadows, with Syakomon in tow. Staring at the scene before him, Lueurmon stared in shock.

"All of you look like you've seen a ghost!" Hitomi laughed silently to herself. "Well in your case, you have now!"

Wah! So many revelations! Do you like the parents so far? And the other introduced characters? The pasts of the seven are being revealed as well. Does everyone also enjoy the group split this time as well?

Oh Hitomi, having to put in a joke somewhere. It's so much fun writing her. Bad puns ahoy!

Please review and comment. :D