Chapter 6: Enter Musyamon

Sometimes unity comes naturally to people, other times it is like ripping teeth out of a starved, insane and highly unhappy tiger. In this case it was akin, to tearing out the fangs out of said feline, as the Digidestined had reconvened to the beach after a decent enough meal, and after spending an hour or two nursing Minotarumon back to health.

The crisis at stake was one that involved each one of the Digidestined, an argument that had exploded out of control when the question of what to do next came up.

"I say, we wait for Apemon to come to us, he's gotta come back sooner or later, or we wait with Agunimon. The more we go on, and the closer we get to Infinitum Isle, the more dangerous it seems to be getting," Kira argued heatedly, as he made his position clear on the matter, having been off to the toilet for a few minutes, Sakura couldn't help upon approaching wonder, what he was arguing about this time.

'At least he isn't yelling at me this time,' Sakura thought resentfully, it wasn't proper to shout at all, meekness was far more dignified and prim and proper according to her teachers.

"And I'm telling you that, there is no point in waiting for a solution, it will not happen. We need to move on, and remember it has been two months since Apemon left Suzaku Island, therefore logically one must conclude that something went wrong." Michiru explained rationally as he held up a finger as though lecturing the other boy.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked of her partner who gave a shrug, as he glanced up at her.

"They are arguing about what to do next, Michiru wants to push on until we reach the island while Kira recommends patience, with neither willing to budge. Further, their partners are involved and do not want to budge either, as Elecmon prefers to wait so as to nap more, whilst Dracomon is impatient to get moving though he hates the sea." Kotemon summed up the whole of the situation as he pointed at either of the digimon when explaining where they stood on the matter.

"Don't point, it's rude." Sakura scolded haughtily, only for her partner to roll his eyes at her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure that's the most important thing to worry about at the moment," He snapped as he glanced over at a nervous Sana and an irritated Itachi.

"Stop fighting Michiru," Sana pleaded as she grabbed the side of his shirt to tug on it.

"Sana, this is important and Kira needs to understand that we can't wait here, though we are children if we don't take control of our own situation nothing will change." Her older brother insisted as Elecmon yawned.

"A waste of time if you ask me, we may as well let Apemon handle it and come back to tell us what's what on Infinitum." Elecmon said tired and shrugging as he glanced at his partner.

"But if we do that, nothing will change." Dracomon shot back, siding with Michiru.

"Whose side are you on?" Kira snapped at his partner, who snapped back.

"On the one that says get something done." Was the counter-argument from the dragon, as he argued for one of the few times with his partner, "Kira I prefer to take your side, but we can't just wait for a miracle to happen."

"This is dreadful," Dorumon murmured saddened by the division in the team.

"Kira shut your mouth, we have to move," Itachi snapped siding more with Michiru because of how he was not Kira, and because he truly believed in moving on, though it was more the former that motivated him.

"Shut up!"

"Guys, please get along," Kaitou begged on the verge of tears as he looked about ready to start crying, fighting back against them as he was ignored the only one to notice was his partner and Biyomon.

"Guys, let's try to tone it down a little, I like a good fight between two chimpanzees as much as the next bird, but this is ridiculous." Biyomon said reasonably, as Dorumon nodded eagerly.

"He's right, and Kaitou-" He began to say.

"Kira, face the facts we need to submit this to a vote, and without telling each other to shut up, so lower your fists and try to act civilly for once," Michiru snapped.

"I'll show you civil." Kira retorted just as Sakura cut in.

"Guys, guys why don't we stop this futile feuding, it's tearing us apart," Sakura said calmly as she stepped between them both, as the two boys glowered at each other with Sana looking unsure and Kaitou looking utterly lost, then grateful to her. "You two are friends, so try to get along for five minutes?"

"Look who's talking," Michiru grumbled as he bit his lip, as her eyes narrowed a little.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura asked as fury began to enter her voice.

"Yeah, if you're so great, why don't you weigh in on this matter; who's right? Him or me?" Kira demanded of her, as he glared holes through both Michiru and her, causing her to gulp.

"Yeah, Sakura who's in the right here?" Dracomon wondered as he looked to her hopeful that she'd resolve the matter.

While she knew what the most logical solution was, she couldn't help but feel herself grow more and more unsure of herself the longer they glared at her, and the more the younger kids looked to her, to resolve this conflict within the group.

"Great, we're doomed," Sana grunted as she shook her head, "The day Sakura makes up her own mind, let alone someone else's is the day the world ends."

"Hey, Sakura can make up her own mind, so hop to it," Kotemon said in equal parts to her as he did to the younger girl, who had absolutely no faith in her.

"Just saying."

"She has a point, you have never managed to resolve any matter, let alone such a heated one." Michiru agreed as he sided with his sister, which Sakura figured was completely expected at times.

"Well, I uh," Sakura stuttered unsure of what to do, nothing in all her life had set her up to know how to react under pressure except follow the group, but now the group was hoping to follow her, which was a reversal that she was wholly unprepared for.

It outraged her that they had no faith in her, it was abhorrent and showed that she had failed them she supposed, but how was it her own fault? When the truth was that she was still reeling, from the fact that they were stuck in another world, with no modern conveniences most of the time and they were without any adults to tell them what to do. She had lived her whole life doing as she was told, particularly by her strong-willed mother, and yet here she was having to step into the shoes of an adult herself, before she was even ready.

"Do something Sakura," Kaitou pressured her, tugging at her hand having made his way to her without her noticing him, while she had been lost in her own thoughts.

'What do I do? Move or don't?' Sakura thought as she considered the situation, too slowly for the taste of the others she could tell, so she did the first thing she could think of.

"Why don't we just rest the night here, on Suzaku, and then make our move tomorrow that way we're better rested to make a decision," The oldest girl in the group suggested tentatively, eager to please everyone and get herself out of this situation.

Her suggestion she could see pleased few of them, Dracomon and Kira seemed impatient, Elecmon positively beamed at her with Biyomon indifferent, whilst Sana and Itachi seemed to continue to think little of her. The only ones who seemed to consider it intellectually, were Michiru and Kaitou, with Dorumon looking on with distinct approval.

"A great idea," Elecmon stated with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Figures you'd like the idea," Biyomon muttered at his expense, only for Michiru to sigh and support it.

"I suppose that, nothing will be resolved with hot tempers," Michiru decided coolly, with a frown in Sakura's direction, "Not that I'm surprised by your decision."

"Least, if nothing else we could check in on Minotarumon again," Kira agreed seeing how he was outvoted, and still worried about how the friendly digimon was doing in light of what he had probably consumed because of Itachi's bumbling in the kitchen.

With a sigh of relief that, things had gone well Sakura could not help but feel irritation at how none of them, seemed to much care for her view on things. Even Dorumon seemed to shrug, and without so much as a glance in her direction led Kaitou away.

"You dodged yet another chance, to take control," Keramon remarked with a snicker at her expense, "Let's hope you don't lose courage to hide from, even sleep itself."

His words hurt worse than a slap to the face, with even Kotemon not defending her, as he sighed and took off after the others, as Sakura heard most of them return up the beach, to sit near the trees in order to set up camp near them.

As they went about the motions of setting up camp, then arranging watch duty with Sakura volunteering for the first watch, unable to rest or even relax, she paced the length and breadth of that part of the beach as she glanced at the others.

'They have no respect or faith in me, nor do they believe that I can do anything,' She thought resentfully fully aware that she had shown herself to be a fool, she hated how they talked down to her. The only ones who liked her, were Kaitou and Itachi, with the former willing to trust her, while the younger she wasn't sure.

Glancing back down the beach, at their row boat she knew the problem was an intricate one; stay here and wait for help, or go and seek out Apemon on Infinitum, whilst also aiming for the great mountain there which offered the best view of the archipelago.

'I can't stand this, Kira has a temper as does Michiru, and yet neither will compromise when the best solution is to-I got it, but can I do it? It means leaving the group, which I can't imagine,' Sakura mused all but mentally writhing in agony as she considered this monster of a problem, only to lose her temper. 'No wonder they have no faith, I need to decide here and now!'

Furious with all of them, in particular the older boys and even Keramon, who believed her too stupid and weak to do anything, which upset her worse than anything else she could have imagined. She was no idiot, nor was she weak, she'd show them all! She'd show them the strength she truly had, it was a burst of zealous fury that pushed her to make a decision she'd later regret, then be proud of.

"Where are you going?" Kotemon asked her, his voice coming from behind her just as she reached the row-boat, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Don't do that!" She hissed at him, having barely managed to restrain a scream of fear, she whipped around to find her partner shinai attached to his back and wide yellow eyes staring through her with a piercing gaze.

"You're headed somewhere," Kotemon said his voice full of suspicion as his gaze fell upon her hands near the rope, where they had tied it to an anchor that Apemon had set up months ago, according to Minotarumon. "You're going to head over to Infinitum yourself, aren't you?"

"What makes you s-say that?" Sakura asked trying to hide the truth, only to curse herself in her own mind for stuttering briefly.

"Sakura, I'm not stupid," the kendo practicing digimon told her as he seemed to grin from within his men, "And I honestly didn't think you had it in you, I must say I'm impressed that you'd take off on everyone in the middle of the night."

"Yeah? Well, maybe I'm not as unthinking as you all think," Sakura harrumphed as she crossed her arms unimpressed by her partner's words.

"I know, though you don't seem to realize how passionate you yourself are and should be, you aren't a robot but a person." Kotemon scolded her nonetheless, a critical person she suspected as he had yet to say anything positive of her as far as she knew, she couldn't help but bristle.

"Are you going to stop me?" She asked ignoring the statement he had just made, focusing on whether he'd stop her from doing the best thing to do under the circumstances.

"No, why would I? I'm going with you," Kotemon told her sharply, as he reached out to undo the knot in front of her, and stepped forward to begin pushing the boat out. "You'll need me out there."

"What?" Sakura asked blinking her eyes several times, as she had not foreseen the possibility of the serious-minded digimon accompanying her. She had thought that if anyone had awoken they'd try to stop her, given that that was what she'd do and that it was the nature of society to cling to itself and for people to conform and cluster together, or so she'd always believed.

Which was why, she continuously found Kotemon and other digimon and even the other humans there so odd. What with how, they didn't cluster and how her partner dressed in traditional Japanese garb and yet was more individualistic than any of the other digimon.

"I am here to protect you, to shield you from all harm. Therefore, I will travel with you to the edge of the world if need be," Kotemon informed her faithfully, causing her to look at him breathlessly with his words touching her heart.

"Well, um yes then in that case, what are you waiting for? Let's get going to that island," Sakura stated as she turned to push the boat out alongside him, hopping into it before him only to pluck him out of the water as best she could to assist him into the boat.

They both picked up an oar, and began to row as best they could to get to Infinitum as best they could, and as quickly as possible. Neither spoke a word for almost three hours, as they rowed as energetically as humanly possible.

When they finally did, it was for Kotemon to grunt out as he rowed with more force in his tiny body than what anyone could have expected at first glance at him. "You know something; I'm proud of you."

"Say what?" Sakura asked as she bit into her lower lip with her teeth, enough to almost draw blood as she felt her muscles start to ache.

"You normally aren't this impulsive or proactive at all, and yet here you stand or sit, about to embark on a scouting mission all on your own without the others. That takes more courage, than I'd have previously expected of you when we first met," Kotemon said with a nod in her direction as she paused in her rowing to consider his words.

"Am I really that bad?"

"What? Absolutely, you're a, as Biyomon would put it; a basket-case." He replied with a short chuckle at her expense.

"Oh really? Well excuse me," She growled at him as they rowed for some time, only to glance in his direction as he worked hard for some time, she thought about it, considered how everyone treated her now and had to pause once again, "Do you hate having me for a partner?"

"At first yes, but now? Not really, you just need to stand up more, try to be yourself not what you think everyone thinks you need to be. Mediocrity is a sin, a more grievous one than any other I think." Kotemon lectured her causing her to flare up.

"Mediocrity isn't so bad, not if everyone aims for it and pitches in, then it becomes more than mere mediocrity," Sakura defended herself furiously.

"Then on that, we'll have to disagree. Sakura, it is better to aim for the summit of the mountain than the base, I myself always aim higher than the others because I know I can reach the summit!" Kotemon told her proudly as he laughed loudly, she had never seen him so invigorated, he stood there in that tiny row-boat, chuckling and challenging the world it seemed to her then.

'He's brilliant in a way, he's so much like… daddy and even the others it isn't funny, I can't even compare to his heels,' Sakura thought feeling two inches tall wishing she could pull back, into a cocoon away from her own self and her own lack of uniqueness at that moment.

Then the moment passed as the boat rocked, Kotemon barely managed to reclaim his footing, and pressed one hand to his belly and the other to his helmet, as he nearly pressed himself against the side of the row-boat.

"Kotemon are you alright? Don't stand in the boat will you!" Sakura shouted nearly having a heart-attack then, as he tottered off his feet only to groan sickly.

"I hate water," He muttered to himself, stricken to his very toes. "I don't know how you do it, to withstand it!"

"I've been on two cruises with my family," Sakura admitted as she rubbed his back, only to shake her head, "To be honest my mother didn't handle the sea very well herself. Here let me rub your back, I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards."

"Th-thank ye, I don't know what I'd do without you," Kotemon mumbled as he let her rub his back, only for her to complain.

"Hey, move your tail, you nearly swatted me with it."

"Sorry."

"It's okay, how's that? Feel better?" She enquired as he nodded after about a half-hour of her doing that.

"Yeah a lot, wow you sure know how to take care of a mon," Kotemon told her gratefully, only to glance into the water, "Pretty pathetic isn't it? A warrior, from an archipelago, who can't stand water."

Sakura smiled to herself, she had never seen her partner be so vulnerable, he was always so gruff, so bluff and full of vigour that to see him doubtful of himself, was a change. The fact that he had chosen to show it to her, touched her heart, she thought about his situation and had to admit it really was pathetic, as she told him lightly, "Sure is. But I won't mock it too much, only enough to get you to stop mocking me and start showing some respect."

It was a pompous statement more suitable coming from Kira's lips, but Kotemon snickered a little, "Hahaha, I guess you got me there, I'll respect you more if you promise to respect me in turn. Also, if you pass on all your fish to me from now on."

"The fish are out of the bargain! Don't push for more, you greedy little lizard!"

"Hey, can't hurt to try, and greed is the basis for the economy and for everyone improving themselves!" Kotemon shot back, as he met her annoyed gaze, only to guffaw at the same time that she did.

"Okay, I'll trade you the fish for that boar meat we had the other day," She retorted with a smirk in his direction that, he grunted and shook his head no to.

"No way, you know that I'd never trade any boar meat for fish," And on it went until they reached the isle, no longer were they the most distant of partners but for once, they were the closest as they drifted closer and closer towards the island. "This is like a dream; land at long last."

"It was only a few hours," Sakura pointed out reasonably as he shot her a dirty look.

"Shut it, this along with refining my swordsmanship were the only things that kept me sane in that dingy boat." Kotemon snapped irritably, his words took her by surprise though.

"I noticed this before, but you seem really into kendo, and you respect Agunimon and Apemon a lot when you talk about them, any reason why?" Sakura asked only to hurriedly add when she remembered all the stories circulating around about them, "Besides the obvious reasons."

Her words caught him off guard, and made him pause for a second to gather his wits and thoughts before he answered, every word carrying weight she noticed once again. He didn't speak very often unlike Biyomon or even Dorumon, but he seemed wiser than they in some key ways she noted proudly (proud that he was her partner), "I'd like to surpass them I suppose. To become greater than they, to digivolve further, to become more renowned and to have a song of mine own someday."

"A song?"

"Yes, there are songs about the courage and goodness of both Agunimon and Apemon, heck even Exveemon's got one though don't ask the Motimon to sing it, trust me they are the worst of singers. I want the whole of the Digiworld to remember my name when I'm gone. That would be the greatest honour and pleasure for any digimon I think." Kotemon confessed earnestly, the scope of his dream impressed her even as the thought of the Motimon village singing made her shudder in revulsion and horror.

'Do I have a dream like that?' she wondered to herself silently as they reached land, her daddy she knew had been an ambitious man, as was her momma. The former was actually a best-selling novelist, and her mother his editor, with the two having met through work, with her father having pursued her for months much to Sakura's mother's delight.

It was quite the romantic tale and one she was proud of, with her father one of the world's finest horror and mystery writers currently around. It made her both proud and annoyed, as she had since she was young hated living in his shadow, because it meant that no matter how hard she strove she'd never be as good as him.

And yet to hear Kotemon speak of legends, songs and of legacies, it made her think about what she had accomplished or wanted to do with herself. Part of her had always wanted to be like her father, and yet she had none of the intelligence (outside school smarts) or the talent for writing like he did.

"What's wrong Sakura? Did my dream depress you?" Kotemon asked of her, eyes staring up at her in concern.

"No, not at all it just got me thinking is all."

"About?"

"What do I want to do? My daddy is-well he's really famous, and cool but I'm, well I don't really have a dream, not a notable or impressive one like you do," Sakura confessed to him which caused him to immediately heat up in anger.

"Don't you ever talk about yourself that way! Even if you dream to be a housewife, or to be little more than a scullery-maid or something akin to that, it is better than nothing. Dreams form the bedrock of people, even if you dream to simply have a meat-bun or fish in the morn, that is impressive in its own right. You Sakura are a pessimist, but if you were to commit yourself all the way, I know there'd be nothing you can't do." Kotemon assured her passionately, as he then seemed to realize he had said more in that moment since her arrival than she had ever heard him say, she could almost see red cheeks from inside the helmet.

She took his hands in hers, causing him to flinch instinctively as she giggled a little, a high tinkling sound that made his cheeks flush a brighter red this time in amazement at the beauty of the sound. Her laugh, was her best feature though she didn't know it, as she smiled down at him. "Kotemon, thank you so much. You know maybe you should compose your own poem, you certainly have a way with words."

"I guess." He said shyly with downturned eyes, then he murmured, "Just don't tell anyone."

"It'll be our secret, well then ready to tackle the dangers of the beach of Infinitum Isle?" Sakura asked with a wink in his direction that he returned eagerly.

"Yeah! By your leave, partner!" Kotemon cheered as he raised one sleeve covered hand to the heavens, in a gesture she mirrored immediately.

"Let's go show those digi-baddies that we ain't scared of nothing, so long as we're together!" Sakura shouted, overcome by excitement as she charged forward with more excitement and energy than she had ever thought herself capable of, in the face of the unknown.

It was still dark when they arrived, and as they advanced towards the forest then through it, it began to grow lighter around them as the sun rose high in the heavens above their heads, as Kotemon glanced in every direction, put-off by how quiet it was. Not that Sakura blamed him, as she was herself surprised, having expected danger after what she had heard from Agunimon and Minotarumon about Apemon coming here, and not having returned in weeks.

"Sure is quiet, huh?" Sakura noted with a shudder, she noticed since last night that it was beginning to get chilly, she wondered if it would soon be winter in Folder.

"Too quiet," Kotemon replied displeased as he glanced about, "I was sure that we'd be attacked by some monster with a Dark Ring, on the beach itself but this is too-wait what's that sound?"

"Sounds like a roar," Sakura said guessing more than anything else, as she strained her ears, in order to hear better, they both did so as what sounded like a distant leonine and loud roar, tore through the area, just as there was another sound.

This sound came from either direction, both from the left and right of our two heroes, who had stopped walking in order to listen intently. It was as though something was being torn and something else was running along the ground, from both directions.

"I know that roar-follow me!" Kotemon roared as he pulled her away, to start running away, with her hand firmly squeezed in his own to the point where it ached painfully.

"What is it?" Sakura gasped taken aback by how fast everything was happening, including her partner's rescue of her and the pain in her hand where he was tugging at her and holding her.

"Grizzlymon! A very ferocious digimon, trust me when I say that he's normally fairly friendly kind of like Monochromon, but a lot smarter," The kendo practicing digimon explained hurriedly as he gasped and heaved himself, as filled with panic as any digimon could be under the circumstances.

Just as they began to leave the forest behind them, the two humongous bears appeared, with a curved half-moon on their foreheads, huge claws and with dark blue fur, with a set of Dark Rings wrapped firmly around their waists, these rings were bigger and darker with red runes traced along them, unlike any the Digidestined had ever seen before.

The hatred in the eyes of the two Champion digimon was startling, as the duo turned to face them, backing away as they did with Kotemon rushing to stand between Sakura and the threatening digimon.

"Don't you worry, Sakura. I will protect you," He vowed then and there, only to remark with a grin, "And a true digimon never breaks his oath."

"Kotemon." She said touched by his courage and the fierceness of his loyalty towards her.

"Get her," the Grizzlymon on the left said, with the one on the right nodding his large head in agreement.

Digimon Analyzer/Kotemon, "As I already said, Grizzlymon isn't typically very bright, he's little better than a Monochromon battling for territory, and generally not being all that bad for company. But, be warned angering him could lead to you being sliced to ribbons at the paws of his Maul Attack, which can cut through solid steel."

"Great, surrounded by two giant bears, why couldn't I go to a different summer camp or stayed home instead of insisting that I go to the one I did go to?" Sakura asked herself helplessly, annoyed by how she had stumbled into this trap, because of her own impulsiveness; it just wasn't like her.

Then just as Kotemon prepared to attack, a high whistling sound followed by a flapping one was heard as a ball of burning steel came ripping down from the heavens, as Dorugamon flew into action, his attack missing the Grizzlymon and hitting right in front of them kicking up some sand and earning him a set of snarls from either of the Grizzlymons.

"Sakura!" Kaitou called out to her, from his place on his partner's back waving his arms as Dorugamon descended to behind her to let him down. "We found your message that, you left behind explaining what you were planning."

"You did? Phew, so it wasn't a waste of time," Sakura sighed in relief as she thought back to the message she had left, having delayed her departure by fifteen minutes in order to draw it into the beach-sand in front of their camp.

"Kira found it, and woke everyone up and after a bit of discussion we all decided to come after you, Biyomon needed some more food in order to recover enough to digivolve but I was sent on ahead, to save you." He told her as he turned to the two Grizzlymon.

"Maul Attack!"

"Maul Attack!"

"Power-agggghhh!" Dorugamon cried out having been in the midst of preparing his attack, mere seconds before the two Dark Ring possessed digimon charged through the sand, to strike at him both slashing full force with their claws, and sending him flying back with a scream.

"Thunder Kote!" Kotemon charged up his shinai with electrical energy in order to charge them also, but he was swatted aside and through a nearby boulder and onto the other side, with a groan.

"Dorugamon!" Kaitou cried out as his partner stumbled to his feet, blood coating his beautiful coat of dark fur.

"Kotemon!" Sakura called out, only to notice how Kaitou was just about ready to charge forward to go help his partner, but not this time she swore to herself as she caught him by the arm to prevent him from racing to his death. "Don't Kaitou!"

"He's hurt, he needs me!" Kaitou shouted back, tears in his eyes as he cried out his partner's name several more times, "Dorugamon! Dorugamon! I'm coming, I'll help! Dorugamon!"

'He'll just get in the way, what we need is a way to remove those Dark Rings, if only there was something hard, something that could bash them off or hit hard enough to tear them off, think Sakura, think you can do this!' Sakura thought to herself as she glanced about for a weapon to use, that's when her eyes fell upon it. The fallen wooden sword of her partner. 'Perfect!'

She had seen him use it to bash through even metal, to down trees, sure it would require a great deal of metal but it had to be made of something fierce and durable, some weird super-bamboo tree for it to withstand what it has withstood.

But first she had to see to Kaitou, and making sure he didn't do anything stupid, this time it was her job to do so. Grabbing him by the shoulders, she shook him a little and told him, "Kaitou, I need you to check on Kotemon!"

"But Dorugamon-"

"I'll help him, I've got an idea to help him," Sakura told him, staring him in the eye intently hoping against hope that he'd listen to her. Something in her gaze held him, and must have convinced him of the merit of what she intended to do, as he gulped up his tears shook a bit then nodded his head. 'I'll not run away, or hide, not this time! This time I'll save you both, you two and Kotemon too!'

"Okay," He sighed as he then took off for Kotemon, to check on the other lizard digimon.

"Atta boy," Sakura praised, as she steeled herself mentally and facially, determined to help for once she raced over to pick up the shinai where it had fallen next to the destroyed boulder, and whipped around to face the two Grizzlymon currently trying to corner Dorugamon.

"Power Metal!" Dorugamon blasted at them, almost too weak to fly he flew low, close to the ground as he tried to back away to lead them away from the Digidestined as well as to put distance between himself and his dogged foes, who would give him no quarter.

"Hyaaahhhh!" Sakura screamed needing it to inflame herself, as she charged forward wondering as she did so if she had finally lost it, she moved to the left of one of them, to gain a better view, even as Dorugamon gaped at her and the Grizzlymon failed to immediately notice her.

Her blow came down with all her strength upon the area, where the Dark Ring rested around his large belly, only for it to bounce off of it without much success, instead all she did was cause the Grizzlymon to let loose a short cry of pain, as hitting the Dark Ring apparently hurt them, and led to him glowering down at her.

"Maul Attack!" The other Grizzlymon seized the opportunity of Dorugamon's distraction to knock him down, as he was sent flying back de-digivolving back into Dorumon with a short cry of pain.

"Dorumon! Darn it!" Sakura cursed as the shinai was knocked out of her hands, she stumbled back only to fall on her rear, as Grizzlymon loomed over her dangerously.

"Sakura!" Kotemon cried out, having been helped to his feet by Kaitou, only to have demanded to be carried or helped over nearer to where she was so that he could see how the battle fared.

'Sure, she may be a little afraid to stand on her own two feet, but no digimon has ever been more blessed or more fortunate to have such a steely partner such as she, I know she has more steel than the others, she needs only see it herself. I won't let her fall, not after I've waited my whole life!' Kotemon swore as he began to glow, shoving Kaitou aside as he felt his body change, just as a bright green glow emanated from the digivice on Sakura's waist.

"Kotemon digivolve tooo… Musyamon!" No longer did he wear Kendo gear, nor did he have a bamboo blade, but one in a sheath on his waist as he loomed taller than Dorugamon, taller than even the Grizzlymons on their hind legs, his red armour gleamed in the sunlight, just as the gold on his helmet did.

Musyamon didn't so much as think, as he raced forward. One of the fastest Champion level digimon around in Digiworld, he was able to cross the distance between the boulder and to stand between where his partner had fallen and where Grizzlymon stood, in less than three seconds. Pulling his katana from its scabbard as he did so, it came up in a defensive gesture from years of training and from honed instincts that came as much from his Rookie level as it did from his newfound form.

Sakura had been in the midst of screaming as she closed her eyes, overcome by terror and the certainty that she was about to die, only for a few seconds to pass, then a few more, then she heard the strangest sound; something like nails scraping along steel, opening her eyes slowly she realized belatedly that she still lived. Then she glanced up at the sound, to find a huge red-warrior standing between her and certain doom.

"Who's that?" She wondered confused by the warrior who glanced over his shoulder to grin down at her.

Digimon Analyzer/Dorumon, "Incredible, I've heard myths about Musyamon, and I was waiting for him to show up; he's Kotemon's Champion form. I've heard that he's faster than lightning, strikes fiercer than any elephant or tiger, and is truer to his word than anyone. His Shogun Sword is hard to follow, but it's said to be quite the marvel to see, and even more dazzling and mighty when felt, these Grizzlymon are about to learn the meaning of the word 'pain'."

"Amazing, he looks so cool, like a real samurai hero from my video games and manga," Kaitou gasped in awe, as he stared open mouthed at the Champion digimon.

"You okay there, partner?" Musyamon asked of his partner, his previous shyness gone, replaced instead by a strange joy and confidence that she had never seen in him before.

"I-I think so, well I am now thanks to you." Sakura admitted as she stared also, though some amount of pride came out in her eyes then, "Thanks for the rescue, you look um, really heroic."

"Thanks, but now let's see if I've got more than looks to burn," Musyamon replied as he turned his attention to his enemies who roared at him in the face, as he threw the claws bearing down on him upwards with a swift gesture only to pull back his sword just shy of his right knee, he then straightened his back and with his sword swinging upwards in a wide from right to left arc, chopped the Dark Ring off in one swift gesture, "Shogun Sword!"

The flames receded briefly after this, as he leaped over the other Grizzlymon who swiped at him from the left, then whilst in midair, he repeated his previous cry except this time, out flew a draconic-headed burst of fire that arced off of his sword and down towards the enemy Grizzlymon's waist, "Shogun Sword!"

The Dark Rings' flew off, burst and disintegrated into dust, just as Musyamon with his back turned to the two, re-sheathed his sword shortly after he had landed only for him to de-digivolve back into Kotemon.

"That was, amazing Kotemon!" Sakura cheered as she raced up to him, to pick up the fallen and highly exhausted digimon who groaned a little, his shinai which had fallen she now noticed was back in his hand (it had disappeared when he digivolved to Musyamon). "You know something, you did look like a hero there for a minute."

"And you looked like, a true lady-knight against all odds, Sakura." Kotemon replied with a sigh of exhaustion, "Can I ask something?"

"Anything."

"Do you have any food?" He asked as behind her the Grizzlymon came to, looked about just as Kaitou dashed past them to Dorumon, just as they took notice of each other and began to growl at one another.

"Sure, anything partner." She promised with a soft smile.

The battle for territory had begun, with Dorumon limping forward leaning upon his tiny partner who strained under his greater weight and height, as he murmured, "We should get outta here."

"If we retrace our steps, I'm sure we could quietly make our way back to the beach, and to the row-boat." Sakura suggested as she took point, to lead them back the way they came around the feuding Grizzlymon, now more concerned with fighting over territory, "From here, we'll head further east, that way," She said as she pointed in one direction, "We'll from there, head back towards the forest, but take a detoured route."

"Not yet we won't," Kaitou proclaimed joyfully as he pointed up in the skies, Sakura followed his gaze and finger with her own eyes, to find a certain red-blip in the skies growing steadily bigger, as it soon became clear that it was Aquilamon flying down towards them.

"It's the others!" Kotemon gasped overjoyed and more than a little visibly pleased, as Dorumon nodded wearily, still weakened from his battle, he looked as though he'd be alright, he just needed some rest and some food (or so Elecmon later proclaimed upon finishing with inspecting him, as digimon healed fast).

"You guys made it!" Sakura uttered happily, having thought for a time that none of them cared about her, it moved her to think that they cared enough to come and try to rescue her without a second thought to their own arguments.

"We couldn't just leave you," Kira argued as he hopped down from the talon of Aquilamon, with Dracomon jumping down and hurrying off to puke in the sea, "You're a member of the team, and would never leave us behind."

"Affirmative," Michiru agreed as he hopped down with Elecmon by his side as faithful as ever, "It logically stands to reason that, we'd come to your rescue."

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Itachi asked as he was helped down by Keramon, his concern more muted in his voice as he eyed the island and the still shaky Dorumon speculatively with a hint of uncertainty on his face.

Sakura smiled widely, Itachi didn't always show he cared, he was often times stoic or distant or even timid with people, and yet she always could tell that there was something behind that mask, something more, he was a kid and most kids were by nature, were instinctively sweet-natured, or so she believed. She had to admit though that, she had something of a soft-spot for him, as she nodded calmly. There were times when Itachi and Sana were both difficult to manage, what with both of their temperaments but then there were other times when it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Yeah, I'm fine I just needed to go on my own adventure I suppose and see the Great Boon with my own two eyes as my daddy would say it," Sakura told them as she stifled a laugh, with her partner snickering a little.

"Or scream a lot."

"At least I didn't get sick."

"True, but at least I didn't-" and on it went, for a short time until the group rested for a few hours, more to care for Dorumon than for any other reason, with the purple digimon feeling better, after several hours of resting though he was still tired and less than interested in climbing up the mountain.

"We could always fly up for a time on Aquilamon," Sana suggested as she glanced at Biyomon who had napped for a while in order to recover his strength.

"Oh please no!" Dracomon whimpered terrified, "I can't stand heights!"

"But you fly, when you digivolve," Kira pointed out reasonably.

"That's different."

"How?"

"It-It just is okay," Dracomon snapped irritated by his partner's reasonable attitude to his morbid terror of heights and flight, as he considered his friend.

"I hear that flight on Infinitum Isle's mountains can get dangerous, but it could save us hours by walking, but it'd eliminate Coredramon from fighting for a while, if we aren't careful." Keramon informed them, speaking slowly but with some thought behind his voice, as he got Michiru to nod.

"He has a point, we should be careful with taking our partner's abilities for granted, with that said I think we should gather food and fish for awhile, then we'll make the flight, rest on the mountain for the night then continue in the morning. How's that sound?" Michiru suggested just as rationally as the grey skinned digimon, earning him a nod from everyone even Kira.

"I think it should be Coredramon who flies us next, as Dorumon and Aquilamon need their rest." He recommended to the approval of Michiru and even the stubborn Sana.

"Sure, but maybe we should let Kotemon rest and eat too while we're at it." Sana advised with a look shot in the aforementioned digimon's direction as he seemed to doze off, weary from his first time digivolving into Musyamon.

"I'll see to the fish," Keramon decided impatiently, as Elecmon nodded.

"I'll gather firewood, come along Michiru," He likewise decided as his partner reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, I suppose I'll look at the files I downloaded from the castle later." Michiru said with a sigh of disappointment as he trailed after his partner, leaving them with only Dracomon and Keramon to protect them.

'Sometimes I think I'd feel safer with an armed terrorist or psychopath, than Keramon, there's just something… off, about him,' Kira mused as he considered the digimon who had just dived down under water to begin catching fish for them, shooting a look to his partner while Sana and Itachi preoccupied themselves with fishing leaving Sakura to doze off and Kaitou to worry over Dorumon.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment, Dracomon?" Kira asked as he pulled his partner aside, to do just that when nobody was around.

"Sure Kira, what is it?" Dracomon asked as he followed his partner to the side, with Kira's finger tapping against his paper fan that he had brought from camp.

It was a nervous gesture and one that the dragon was very familiar with despite having only known his friend for a few days, as he glanced about to make sure nobody was listening. "Have you noticed anything odd about, Keramon in all your time with him?"

"Odd how?"

"I don't know, do you ever get the feeling that he's, I don't know, kinda creepy or a bit of a weirdo?" Kira wondered as he kept his eyes on the sea where he'd last seen Keramon dive down underwater.

"Not really, he used to disappear when we were young, but that was years ago back when, lessee here we were Fresh or In-Trainings, but he cut those habits out years ago, say about two-maybe three years ago? I can barely remember, it was a slow thing why?" Dracomon asked again, only for his friend to shrug and admit.

"I just get these moments, these little ones when the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end." Kira confessed as he hoped his partner would understand.

"I think it must be something you ate, I used to get those feelings, but then I decided to befriend him and he's not so bad, sure he's a little weird but I think you're quite weird, melodramatic and pompous on top of being weird." Dracomon dismissed his worries without much thought or so it seemed to the frustrated human, but to Dracomon though he didn't say it he wasn't comfortable with the topic, and had decided to follow Kotemon's advice from a few nights before, by trying to dissuade Kira from taking too much interest in Keramon, or acting out against him or Itachi. Maybe time and indifference would melt his antipathy for the youngster, and could allow him to start bridging the gap.

'And maybe I can get Keramon to help with that, like Biyomon suggested when I consulted him,' Dracomon told himself as he nodded to himself, he then snickered cheerily whilst patting his partner on the back enthusiastically, "Don't you sweat about it partner! You're just getting travel fright, we'll be back at your camp thing in no time!"

"No, it isn't that-oh whatever, I'll keep an eye on Keramon myself if need be," Kira grumbled worrying his friend who gave him a serious look.

"Kira, don't do anything stupid, Keramon is one of us, so mistrust between us should be put aside as we can't be battling our enemies if we're at war with ourselves." Dracomon lectured earning a short nod from his friend who admitted defeat.

"Okay, but after we're done with the mystery of those Dark Rings and we reach the top of that mountain, promise me you'll at least help me ask him about why he's so creepy," Kira said to his partner who gave a reluctant nod now of his own as he turned away from his friend to go see about preparing the fire on which they'd cook a quick meal before they traveled up the mountain.

"Fine, fine but at least try to be friendly," Dracomon told him, before he stalked off leaving Kira alone with his thoughts as he considered Keramon, when he had surfaced with a pack of more fish, a smirk on his face, he returned the stare for a second, only for it to widen when he approached Itachi.

'I don't trust him with Itachi,' Kira thought to himself, only to remind himself that he didn't trust the murderous monster also as he suppressed his thoughts and feelings of distrust and dislike to focus on survival.

The meal they had was a swift one, with most of them packing the spare food, onto the arms of several of the digimon while Dracomon digivolved into Coredramon, whom they all climbed onto as he took flight just as two Monochromon came along to combat for territory near where they had had their meal.

"I don't know if I could make it all the way to the top of the mountain in one go, but I can promise you that I'll make it as close to the top as I can get, short of the clouds, and near to the middle of Infinitum Mountain, okay guys?" Coredramon asked of his friends as he beat his powerful and majestic wings against the air.

"No problem bro," Kira replied, shouting to be heard by his friend.

"I think we should consider the possibility that Apemon has already been here, but at least we'll get a good view of the archipelago from the top," Michiru added shouting also, just to be heard as they came in for a landing.

"It can get dangerous further up, I've heard of huge swaths of Kuwagamon and Saberdramon, fluttering about near it, it wasn't always like that but recently it changed," Coredramon explained having spent time with ExVeemon in the past, in order to hear of such stories.

"I've heard the same thing," Biyomon confessed as he considered the rumours with unusual seriousness, "I think we should keep flight to a bare minimum the further we go."

"It might be best," Sakura agreed nervously, as she remembered the two Grizzlymon who had nearly claimed the lives of Kaitou, Dorumon, Kotemon and herself.

They soon disembarked, climbed up for another few hours so that where they'd landed was little more than a memory and no longer in sight below them, the team nowhere near the top, but nor were they anywhere near the bottom, having landed on the main road that led towards the top of the mountain.

When they went to sleep, it was Michiru and Elecmon who took up the first watch, followed by Keramon, then Dracomon, then Kira. None of them at all comfortable as the wind seemed to vibrate with dark energy, as a fog was kicked up over the night, so that none of them could see where they were headed.


"If it isn't Apemon, chieftain of the digimon of Folder," the youngest of the Witchmon sisters greeted the bright yellow digimon who had climbed the mountain for days, only to be confronted at the top of the mountain, by three hideous witches standing over a cauldron.

"Apemon the wise." Chanted the tallest, middle sister of the three.

"Apemon, the leader of all evil digimon," The plump Witchmon sister now chanted in a sing-song voice that was as beautiful as nails on the chalkboard.

"Who are you three? I have come all the way from Castle Isle to investigate, the madness that now grips my people. I sensed great evil and can tell that you three have something to do with this, therefore you must leave. Now." Apemon growled at them, aware that the Dark Rings had blackened the hearts and minds of hundreds of digimon throughout the isles that he protected alongside the likes of Agunimon, ExVeemon amongst dozens of others.

"We are the new overlords and chieftains," The youngest explained confidently, her sisters' eyes going to a spot over Apemon's shoulders as he heard a whistling sound that came from behind him.

"Lightning Paw!" BlackGatomon screamed as he lunged for Apemon's back, only for the larger digimon to back-flip over the black cat, and to land nimbly on his feet as he reached for the huge bone on his back, the one that had been taken from a SkullGreymon millennia ago.

"Mega Bone Stick!" And he tossed it, only for BlackGatomon to try again, this time his claw met the bone only for it to go flying back to its owner having been blocked by the cunning feline.

Digimon Analyzer/BlackGatomon, "Oh Apemon, the most overrated of all digimon amongst these islands. You know, his Mega Bone Stick is vicious yes, but if you ask me he could use a hair-cut from a lawn-mower, then again if you were to also ask me, about his looks, the lawn-mower might improve his disposition too, if you know what I mean."

"Enough of this fighting, Apemon the Digidestined are here, on Mt-Infinitum, you will go down there and kill them," the plumpest of the three declared with a grin from BlackGatomon, who snickered.

"Now you're talking, and if he's gonna take orders from us, then can you get him to give me a back massage later?"

"I would never do that! The Digidestined, if they are here, it means that they are here to save our world from itself! I'll destroy you three instead!" Apemon roared just as the contents of the cauldron flew from said cauldron, towards Apemon just as four Dark Rings rose from the clouds to grip themselves unto him, just as the liquid poured itself into his chest causing him to scream in pure agony.

"Now, do you understand what you must do?"

"Yes, my mistresses," He uttered without anymore defiance, it had been drained from him, leaving little more than a husk with only obedience and destruction in his now emptied mind.


The Digidestined were nearing the top of the mountain, when the fog began to clear, they had been walking for almost two days, having run out of food hours before, much to their chagrin. As they seemed to reach a turning point, they caught sight of something or more specifically someone, whom the digimon easily recognized as one of their principal mentors from years before.

"Hey, it's Apemon!" Dracomon called out pointing at his personal hero, just as Kotemon laughed having recovered all of his previous energy.

"Apemon, it's been forever, you should have sent a message to us that you were up here, it'd have saved us a lot of trouble!" Kotemon cried out also, as the humans stayed back unsure of this large digimon with dark eyes.

"Apemon, what's wrong? Why aren't you excited to see us? Or is it that you don't recognize us?" Biyomon wondered as he followed after the other two towards, the ape, who reached over his shoulder for his legendary bone weapon.

"I am here, to destroy the Digidestined. For my mistresses," Apemon growled in reply as he tore it off his back, in order to prepare to throw it at them.

"Wait-wh-what?" Sakura gasped having been about to run after Kotemon, with Sana by her side as she stared at the huge ape in equal fear to the older girl.

"I knew it," Keramon mumbled having been the first to notice the Dark Rings almost completely hidden by the yellow fur, and the change in his data, "I knew there was something off about him, since he suddenly appeared in the fog."

"What? But its Apemon," Dorumon argued looking like he was going to cry, "He'd never hurt us, he's a good digimon."

"Good or not, he's been possessed by something, or someone." Keramon retorted, as Michiru strained his eyes.

"Mega Bone Stick!" The attack combed through the front three, just as Sakura threw herself against Sana, to press her to the ground, with Kira and Itachi bringing the rear, just as the bone made its way for Michiru.

"Michiru!" Elecmon called out, as he was engulfed in light, "Elecmon digivolve tooo… Leomon!"

He parried the bone with his sword, sending it flying back to its owner who charged the front three, in order to make a direct trajectory for Sakura and Sana, just as Kira back away a little.

"Thanks, Leomon," Michiru thanked genuinely gratified to see the leonine digimon, only to instruct him, "Now go rescue Sana, she'll need more protecting now."

"Roger," Leomon retorted as he lunged forward, to go do battle with Apemon.

"But Apemon, is our friend," Dorumon stuttered utterly lost and feeling betrayed, as Keramon sneered at him.

"If you're too weak to protect your partner, and would rather let Apemon destroy him, then go ahead and do nothing," Keramon grumbled as Kaitou shot him an angry look.

"I just-" Dorumon began to say weakly, he had grown up looking up to Apemon, he was one of the most heroic and erudite digimon in Folder, if he had turned foul than who knows, whom they could trust from now on.

"Well, if we can't go forward, we could always-" He was interrupted by a huge explosion from up above, as the ground trembled underneath them, and the path behind Kira began to shake, and crack, destroying it and sending huge chunks of rock tumbling down towards him and the others.

"Kira!" Dracomon now called out, as he digivolved now, "Dracomon digivolve tooo… Coredramon!"

"Phew," Kira sighed in relief after he and Itachi had stopped screaming in time to realize that Coredramon had blasted away the rocks, "You know, there's a reason I never considered a 'rockier' look."

"Who cares about that, the path is blocked," Itachi pointed out as he stared at where they had come from.

'The Digidestined digimon fight as one, and trust each other implicitly, even Keramon the more treacherous member of the team understands the value of teamwork, this isn't good.' Witchmon mused as she studied the battle-field, with BlackGatomon by her side as she stood further up on the mountain.

"Looks like its about to turn foul." BlackGatomon noted as Kotemon and Keramon stepped forward.

"Kotemon digivolve tooo… Musyamon!"

"Keramon digivolve tooo… Chrysalimon!"

"Hey what about us, don't forget about us!" Biyomon called out as Leomon's sword clashed with Apemon's bone, Biyomon took flight over the edge of the mountain road in order to consider the fragility of the area and in order to have the advantage of open air when fighting against their ally-turned enemy. "Biyomon digivolve tooo… Aquilamon!"

"F-fine, I'll help too but only to restrain him, Dorumon digivolve tooo… Dorugamon!"

"Yep, too much for him, so what are you going to do?" BlackGatomon asked as he turned to his boss, who stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"Time for a different tact," She conceded as she blasted loose some rocks towards the Digidestined children, and Apemon sunk into the ground thanks to her magic, in order for her to teleport him elsewhere.

The rocks were easily taken care of as Aquilamon and Coredramon shielded them, allowing the rocks and boulders to tumble off of them, as Leomon moved onto their backs with some incredible acrobatics after jumping onto Aquilamon's talon, only to then leap forward, grabbing his tail-feathers only to then throw himself upwards, just as Chrysalimon with Musyamon on his back, floated up so that they could along with Dorugamon destroy the boulders, and make sure they weren't dangerous to their precious human friends.

"What was that?" Kira wondered as he stared upwards.

"An avalanche?" Michiru proposed not looking the slightest bit convinced, if anything he still looked worried as he helped Sana back onto her feet.

"I hope so," Itachi muttered as he gave out his thoughts, "Because every time so far, that something goes wrong, it's always one digimon or another, or those Dark Rings' fault."

"That's true," Sakura agreed as they began to advance again, to get out from underneath the two giants and allow their partners the opportunity to finally move and de-digivolve without them being crushed under thousands of pounds of rock and mortar.

"Either way, we could take them," Sana boasted as she jumped up and down a little, already overconfident and convinced of their victory, "Because we took on that Apemon guy, no problem!"

"Apemon, he's supposed to be a good digimon," Dorumon said sadly once he had de-digivolved, his head bowed in grief.

"I know," Biyomon agreed just as grief-stricken, having always worshipped the Ape digimon, as his personal hero he was also particularly affected.

"Bah, we knew it was a possibility sooner or later," Keramon retorted indifferently, he had never cared for the chieftain, as he had aspirations far greater than being stuck in these pitiful isles.

"You could at least show some compassion," Dracomon challenged irritably, as the bug shrugged his shoulders.

"It isn't as though, it was outside the realm of possibility, now we have only to investigate the one who has seized him, and the cause of this oddly timed avalanche," Keramon retorted as he advanced with the dragon glowering after him.

"I guess we're all pretty tired," Michiru noted, with his own head bowed in defeat, as he took point for the team alongside the exhausted Elecmon, as they continued their trek up the mountain.

It wasn't long before they reached the summit, and could see the whole of the archipelago, the farm isles to the west, the ice ones to the north, the volcanic and haunted isles to the east, and the fruitful tropical ones to the south, it was a wonder that such different climates could exist at the same time in the same hemisphere.

'Then again, nothing about this world makes any sort of sense,' Michiru caught himself thinking as he studied the islands as Keramon and Kotemon pointed out which isles were which to him and Itachi.

Sakura, Kira and Kaitou also listened but eventually grew as weary as Sana, who was waiting impatiently as she led the group into the forest on the top of the mountain.

"How could such a dense forest exist so high?" Sakura wondered, unfamiliar with the particulars of forest growth, but certain that this was a little peculiar.

"Who knows, I'm more fascinated by how so many different islands could exist in the same hemisphere." Michiru replied as he walked alongside her.

"Who cares, what we need right now is shelter, and a nice bath where I can soak my feet, I haven't walked this much in my entire life," Kira complained.

"I think we're all quite tire-wait, what's that I smell?" Elecmon asked no one in particular, only to sniff a bit more as he then glanced in one direction, just to the left of the group, "But it is! There's food in that direction, something is sizzling in an oven!"

"Food?!" Everyone cried together (save for Keramon), as they all took off in the mentioned direction, not a one willing to let such a golden opportunity go to waste.

What they had wanted to see, what they also expected to see, was completely different from the sight that greeted their eyes when they circled around a bend of trees; standing there before them, was an opulent Renaissance styled-palace one with towering towers and roofs, with open doors and with nothing seeming to have disturbed it for some time.

"I hope there are hamburgers!" Kira chanted as he ran, right behind Sakura and Sana.

"I hope there are, yakitori and sushi!" Itachi replied all but salivating.

"Or maybe, lasagna and soba!" Kaitou added.

"I'd prefer some sushi too, and with a side of eggs!" Sakura said as she made it past the walls, and headed straight for the doors.

"Wusses, it'd be better to ask for really hot and spicy curry with some pork," Sana retorted as she threw herself against the doors, just as Sakura turned the doorknobs.

"I'd be happy with simple pancakes, steak and some good miso sauce on them," Michiru replied as he all but barreled the girls down in his hurry to be inside, so excited was he that he paid scant attention to the pictures on the walls, to be more specific; those of three beautiful young women, all dressed in a manner akin to priestesses. One of a plump nun, another of a thin puritan and another of a beautiful Shinto priestess.

'Interesting décor,' Elecmon noted as he eyed the portraits in surprise and uncertainty, only to be jerked away from them so that he could be shaken.

"Where's the food! Sniff it out already!" Michiru screamed in his face, as the red digimon was shaken for all that he was worth.

"I can smell it too now! It's that way!" Dracomon stated as he pointed in one direction, only for them to charge from there.

"Who cares about the art, let's eat!" Kotemon snapped as he was the first to slam the doors to the dining hall replete with a feast on a huge long-table open.

"It's sooooo beautiful!" Dracomon chanted as he eyed the table with wet eyes that communicated pure love for the feast.

"Dibs, on the steak!" Biyomon yelled as he made a beeline for it, hopping onto a chair to start stuffing his face.

"Oh, no fair but either way the pig and potatoes are mine!" Dracomon shot back, as Elecmon and Kotemon raced past him, even Keramon seemed eager for some food as he sniffed at some of it, got a perplexed look on his face only to bite a bit, then start chowing down, in a similar manner to the others.

"I'm not sure how proper it is for us, to enjoy this feast," Sakura objected weakly, as she eyed the food with a wistful eye and some saliva on her chin.

"Who cares? If you wish to starve to death, be my guest," Kira shot back as he charged the table too, unable to wait any longer for food as Michiru and Sana joined him.

"It does make sense to eat now, and think about apologising to the owner of this palace later." The nerd said as he reached for a fork and knife.

"If you don't want to eat, feel free to skip this meal," Kaitou told her as he and Itachi charged too, leaving her to throw her arms up in the air in frustration with herself.

"Ah who am I kidding? Who cares about politeness, I don't wanna starve!" She screamed as she decided to attack the food and stuff her gullet as rapidly as any digimon, forgetting all the table manners she had proudly observed her entire life.

Some time later they would finish their enormous meal, as they then searched the castle for anything else of note such as toilets, then to see if there was a bath which they found on the first floor. It was Kotemon actually, who discovered it near some toilets there, in the opposite direction of the dining hall, where there was a large set of hot-baths, one for boys and another for girls.

With the girls losing no time in rushing through, leaving their partners to move towards the boys section, where they'd find a larger hot-bath which was just to say big enough to hold all of the boys inside of it.

"Ahhhhh, this is the life," Kaitou murmured to himself as he soaked there, having just finished washing his body, back and face of all dirt, bugs and sweat, while Dorumon shook his head from behind him.

"Kaitou, don't forget to wash your hair, behind your ears and under your armpits, here let me take care of that for you," Dorumon declared as he took the boy in hand, with the others snickering.

"Wow, Dorumon you're just like a mom," Kira joked as he slapped his knee, with glee as Dracomon sighed tiredly next to him, with Itachi on his other side, having just finished completely cleaning himself too, before he then began to doze off.

"Yeah, the water is perfect," Michiru added as he closed his eyes to follow Itachi's example, whilst Biyomon joined in on Kira's teasing.

"Yeah, Dorumon's nickname is 'Mommymon'," He declared as he made his way into the hot-bath, while Dorumon blushed a little in embarrassment, with Kaitou complaining loudly.

"Hey, I know that Doru! No need to-stop it already!" He whined, causing the rest of them all to laugh at his expense, even Keramon joined in.

"Looks like a Mommymon, alright," Keramon agreed with a snicker of his own, though he didn't sincerely enjoy all that much of the camaderie of the others, as he was insincere in his own desire to join them. Only doing so, to keep an eye on Itachi and who he interacted with. 'He's my partner, and ergo my property and power battery, with how powerful Agumon and Gabumon got with one of those squishy humans, I can only imagine how powerful I will soon be, thanks to this scrawny brat.'

"Man, the boys are being so noisy," Sakura grumped from the other side of the bath, as she sat in the bath, shaking her head at the antics on the other side of the thin wall of the hot bath.

"Eh, leave them be, least we got a safe place to sleep and eat inside of, and get to finally be clean," Sana argued a lot more gently than one would expect from her, given her usual brusque behaviour.

"That's true, I'm so glad there's some clean beds waiting for us upstairs, let me tell you, my back and head couldn't take much more of these long nights sleeping on the ground." Sakura grunted back, with a satisfied and happy expression on her young face as Sana smiled a little back, for once at peace with the only other girl in the group.

"And with those watches, I bet it'll be great to sleep a full night's sleep," Sana remarked to the other female's short nod in reply, as she sunk deeper into the water.

It was almost three hours before any of them left the baths, and by then some of the water wasn't so pristine anymore, given how filthy they previously were, as they sleepily made their way upstairs to the bedroom awaiting them.

It was a large one, with seven beds inside of it, with each one of the children not questioning why there were so many single beds, as they sank into the folds of cloth and properly made and woven pillows with a series of sighs of relief as they all, almost to the last began to drift away to sleep.

"Goodnight everyone," Dorumon called out with a happy smile on his own face, as he began to drift alongside Kaitou, who nodded absent-mindedly.

"Goodnight to you all," Kotemon also called out, slightly more wearily than Dorumon as Sakura wished the others a good night also, just as Dracomon noticed his partner staring at his hands which he squeezed lightly then tightly then unfurled them.

"What's wrong Kira?"

"I was just thinking… I kinda missed my own bed, and my video-games," Kira muttered sheepishly as he glanced at the others, his words which were intended to be for only Dracomon, echoed in the quiet room, causing all the others to suddenly wake up a little.

"I miss my momma and daddy," Sakura murmured as she sat up, a devastated look on her face, as an indifferent one climbed its way to Itachi's and an uncertain one onto Kaitou's.

"I miss my mom," Kaitou confessed weakly, as he glanced down at his hands, willing himself not to cry, "For a long time now."

"Aww, don't cry Kaitou, you'll see her soon, I know you will," Dorumon assured him, as he pulled him into a warm hug that could have melted the heart of any viral digimon (save for Keramon of course).

"I miss my school basketball club and friends," Sana added looking lonely as she hugged her knees close to her chin.

"Don't worry Sakura, I promise you, I shall endeavour to reunite you with your parents even if it kills me," Kotemon was busy promising Sakura who nodded and smiled wetly at him through a set of stifled tears.

"Given how long we've been here for, I imagine the camp has given up on searching for us," Michiru remarked as he climbed up to sit next to Sana in order to wrap his arm around her, a gesture she would have once rejected yet this time, accepted if reluctantly so. "I don't think even the police are still looking for us, with any hope of finding us."

"Don't say that," Elecmon said uncertain of what a 'police' was, but confident that nobody could forget or not at least try their damnedest to find these kids. "I'm sure your parents and family and even your friends are still looking for you."

"I miss my dad's stories." Sakura said quietly.

"My cousin's ghost stories," Kaitou added.

"Or even, the teacher's boasts about the Olympics," Sana said also, remembering her teacher who had boasted about having gone to them, before he had retired as an athlete, to pursue his dream of teaching.

"I believe I long for internet capability just as strongly," Michiru also said, as Itachi eyed them one and all with a quiet shrug.

"I-I guess I miss some of the cooking and one or two people, two." He muttered quietly, in truth he didn't miss home too much, as too much had happened back there. He did wish he could have said something more kindly, but why would he miss home when home had never missed or cared for him all that much? He slapped himself mentally for thinking of home as a sentient sort of concept, it was stupid to think in that manner. 'I'm glad I don't have to sleep in Date-san's basement, or outside her house no more, what a relief nothing but the nightmares of the past will keep me from enjoying this bed…'

"Goodnight everyone, let's at least try to enjoy a good long rest and maybe you'll all feel better tomorrow," Biyomon suggested from where he was perched at the end of Sana's bed, as Michiru slipped back into his bed next to Sana's.

They all wished each other a good night, then it was off to sleep which didn't take very long for most of them, tired as they were, they could not have fathomed staying awake for very much longer.

That was when it happened just three stories below, as the three Witchmon sisters exited from their hiding places within the paintings they had lined up side by side, with the youngest calling them all to order, as BlackGatomon and Apemon came at the beck and call of their mistresses.

"Man, those Digi-brats are Digi-pigs, I've seen entire armies of digimon that eat less than these brats, it's a good thing the food wasn't real else they'd have eaten us out of room and board, almost literally," BlackGatomon remarked as he came scurrying from the dining hall where he'd been hiding on the chandelier above the middle of the long-table.

"Never you mind that, Apemon get the children, and be sure to do it quietly, BlackGatomon you stay here in case any of them, slip by the entrance." The youngest of the sisters ordered, as she threw a surreptitious glance up the stairs.

"To do what exactly?" The loud-mouthed cat wondered idly, as he raised an eyebrow, "In case they take a fancy from fleeing from each other? Trust me, this is overkill but I suppose there's no kill like overkill if that floats your boat," BlackGatomon muttered sarcastically, glad he had benefits and excellent dental else he'd never do as these three hags told him to do.

"Yes, my mistresses," Apemon uttered tonelessly.

"Stiffer than a corpse."

With that last jest, thrown at their backs, the three sisters flew up the stairs while Apemon jumped up from the entrance, intent upon the children's room, where inside it only one of those inside had failed to fall asleep.

"Kaitou, wake up, wake up already." Dorumon ordered as he nudged and jostled the child, who blinked sleepily.

"Yes? What is it Dorumon?" Kaitou mumbled still half-asleep, as he wondered what in heaven's name was wrong with his partner, who was staring at him intently.

"You forgot to use the toilet before bed."

"So?"

"Well, you need to have a glass of milk, then go to the toilet before bed."

"I don' wanna," Kaitou grumbled fed up with his partner's demands.

"But the guidebook, I bought last year, says that this is standard for all young children!" Dorumon insisted in a hiss as his partner caved in reluctantly, grabbing his clothes he hurriedly put them on, grabbed his digivice out of more of a growing habit than any real affection for it, and followed his partner towards the door.

It just so happened that that was right when Apemon had torn the door off its hinges, unfamiliar with the fact that he was supposed to be subtle. His action surprised the young boy, who screamed out just as Apemon stepped in through the opening where the door had previously been.

"Apemon!" Kaitou screamed, waking a few of the others who grumbled about the noise he was making only to then take notice of who was looming over him, bone in hand.

"I must destroy you," Apemon pronounced as he raised his weapon, Dorumon was just to say on the verge of firing at him when he suddenly felt his gut ache with what felt like flames.

"Kaitou-Metal-OW!" He cried out clutching at his gut with his tiny arms, as one of the Witchmon sisters suddenly appeared, the entirety of the building save for the supports for the fourth floor disappearing also.

"Well well, sister it would appear that the old 'illusionary food' got them good," The plump middle sister remarked with a snicker as her younger sibling nodded proudly.

"Quite. I told you so." She replied, as Dracomon gasped at the sight of the three.

Digimon Analyzer/Dracomon, "Those are the Witchmon sisters, masters of all magic from all around Digiworld, they are incredibly powerful and cruel, trust me when I say, don't get on the wrong side of 'em, else you'll soon regret it, when they curse or otherwise hex you."

"Now that introductions are out of the way, can we kill them now?" The eldest asked of her younger sisters who nodded back.

"Absolutely."

"Now Apemon, do as we command," The youngest commanded as he nodded over his shoulder, raised his bone just as tears already began to course down Dorumon's face.

"Nooo, Kaitou…!" He gasped, while the boy raised his arms instinctively, his digivice shining in response to the impending threat.

A bright white flash of light later, and the four Rings on Apemon disintegrated just as lucidity and sanity returned to him, confused for a second he glanced about uncertainly only for his eyes to fall upon the child whom he suddenly remembered was a human, the memories of what he had done horrified him but there was no time for such things.

"Are you alright, young one?" He asked as he stared down in concern at Kaitou, who opened his eyes slowly only to stare back in fear.

"Uh-huh."

"Thank heavens, somehow Apemon is back to normal," Dorumon murmured as he moved to stand near Kaitou slowly, only for the ape to glance over his shoulders at the three witches whose expressions were in the midst of changing from ones of glee to uncertainty and confusion, to rage.

"He's free of our control!" The plump hollered gripped by panic as her eldest sister sneered.

"Not for long."

"Fascinating," Michiru murmured from the side having just caught sight of what had happened, though he couldn't see very clearly what had happened it was so dark, but he did feel, that what he did see, meant that the Digivices would have to undergo further study.

"Never mind him, we must separate the others, NOW!" The youngest cried out as she raised the beds of the various beds eager to kill them, she threw them out towards the farthest corners away from each other throughout Folder. "Our magic should suffice to separate these loathsome brats, my sister deal with Apemon, secure control over him, while the other deals with the last child.

"Apemon, do you know what's going on?" Kaitou asked uncertainly, as Apemon who had overheard the sisters' exchange glanced over his shoulder, unable to risk one of the children being caught or killed, he threw his bone stone, aware that the sea lay below, far below.

"Yes, you are in danger here, so you must go. Mega Bone Stick!" Apemon roared as he threw it to one side, with it crushing through stone and mortar with ease, as it chopped the room off from the rest of the building.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" Kaitou screamed as the room fell into the sea, causing Dorumon and him to start floating away due to the raging sea, he was being thrown towards the west as the bone returned to Apemon's hand.

"Saving you, I shan't risk your life here, there'll be another battle, child of Destiny! Now I shall buy you time!" Apemon called out as he turned about and disappeared from sight, the last that was seen or heard of him, was his scream as the sisters cackled manically.

"Apemon!" Kaitou called out after him.

"Don't worry Kaitou, if we helped him once, we'll do it again," Dorumon reassured him as he put his hands on his shoulder.

"You're right, we'll be back, and next time we won't let them get away with this…" Kaitou stated firmly, hopeful for the future even as he began to believe in Apemon, having caught a glimpse of the super-hero Dorumon looked up to and loved.


Sakura Sanada: Sakura was not originally part of the story, I had no intentions to use another female character like this, nor to have a sixth member of the team. But, then came story problems, there was a missing link between the various members of the team, the question of 'why would they even work together' came up and I couldn't figure out an answer. Every single one of these Digi-Destined were loners by nature, and I needed a team-player. So, the idea came up for a character to force them together, then came the question of what to do with such a question, which partner to give him/her, what's the background story to this character as Digimon Adventure 01 had amazing backstories for their entire cast.

So Sakura, took form more as plot-convenience. Initially, but then came the question of character and what have I not done yet with one of these kids; whelp I hadn't written in, a feminine character yet. And in recent years every female character is a tomboy/mary-sue, and that irked me and made me think; 'what's wrong with a girl wanting to be girly, wanting to be traditional, wanting to just simply be lady-like?' so the question was asked and this was the answer. Sakura's lady-like obsession also came from the idea of the yamato-nadeshiko trope, and Sakura grew from there.

Sakura's temperament though came from the idea of doing the opposite; of someone who would push and force the team-together, despite how aggressive she might come across. So Sakura took on traits, quirks and personality that the other characters lacked. She was more a convenience initially, but after writing her in the first few chapters, I can honestly say she might very well be my second favourite human OC character in this fic to write. She started so simply, and yet now she's one of my favourite characters and so much more fun than the others in some ways. She is the very reason the team is still together, and in some ways is the biggest mover and shaker of the team after Michiru and Keramon.