The Return to the Digital World

Lupine Laser: Seriously. Please review! Please! I'm begging of you guys. Anyway, I do not own Digimon. Read on and PLEASE review! By the way, I might be skipping scenes because most of them would be repetitive and boring.

Lupine Laser: Review thanks:

Kayla Edwards: I'll try my best to have longer chapters but I always like to finish a chapter with a logical stop. The problem is, it normally ends quite short. Still, I will try my best to make the chapters longer! Kouji is also my favourite character, so hi five! Anyway, thanks for the assurance that turning Kouji into a Digi-egg was sensible and was fine. Thanks!

After what seemed like ages, Zoe stopped crying and Tommy managed to get Kouichi back to the fire. All of us ate silently, tension thick in the air. Tommy and I went to find some leaves for bedding and we came back, with a bunch of them. We set up the bedding and Zoe offered to keep first watch but Bokomon said that we should all rest so he and Neemon would keep watch.

Chapter 7: Hope

NORMAL POV

That day, Zoe wanted to take care of Kouji's Digi-egg. Since Zoe had the egg, she walked in the middle so that it would be more protected. Takuya was behind with Kouichi and JP led the way. Tommy walked beside Zoe and the other two Digimons walked in front of her.

"How often do you think we would get ambushed?" Tommy asked Bokomon.

Bokomon rubbed his chin and said, "I am not sure. Maybe if we are lucky, once everyday only and the Digimons that attack us are weaker Digimon." That was the only conversation made before some Digimon ambushed the group.

ZOE'S POV

"Argh!" I heard Takuya yell. I spun around, only to see Takuya wrapped around with threads. Five Dokugumon crawled out from the darkness of the forest. "What in the world?" Takuya shouted as the other four spider-like Digimon spun more webs around him. "Somebody help?"

I immediately transformed into Kazemon. 'Ha. Maybe these Dokugumon know that spiderwebs are highly flammable. No wonder they targeted Takuya first,' I thought. Without further ado, I attacked the Dokugumon with my Hurricane Wind attack while holding Kouji's egg tightly. The Dokugumon were easy to defeat. Every time they tried to spin a web at us, we could knock away their attacks. In five minutes, we were done with them.

I continued to carry Kouji's egg, making sure that it was not hurt. 'Kouji, I wish that you will be able to hear me. I am so sorry. You shouldn't have saved me,' I thought sadly. I was hoping that a miracle would happen, like in all those television shows where there was a sad scene and suddenly, something good happens. I looked at Kouji's egg. It did not move. Sighing, I walked on with the group.

NORMAL POV

The days went by with more ambushing, more ambushing, and more ambushing. By then, the group was halfway to Ophanimon's castle. The had purified many evil Digimon. However, Kouji's egg had not hatched and it was already the twentieth day.

Everywhere they went, Digimon would greet the Digi-destined. When they say Kouji's egg, many would be so shocked and there were even some that cried. Some Digimon said, "No! This can't be happening! The Warrior of Light was our only hope!" Then, they would run away while crying.

Everyone was still depressed because the group seemed so much smaller and quieter without Kouji. There should be one more human and he would be arguing with his best friend while the others laughed. Now, even Takuya had cut down on his jokes.

By nightfall, the team had reached the Gotsumon Village, the place where Kouji had befriended a Gotsumon. The team walked into the village. A Gotsumon who was wearing a necklace with a magnifying glass hung on it came running towards the team. He was the Gotsumon that Kouji had befriended.

TAKUYA'S POV

'Uh oh. How are we going to break the news to Gotsumon?' I asked myself urgently. Looking at my friends, I could tell that they were also thinking about the same question. When the Gotsumon finally ran over to the group, he was already panting.

He looked up at us with his big yellow eyes. He peered into the group. "Where's Kouji? Everyone wants to see him!" he shouted gleefully. Zoe sighed sadly. Gotsumon looked at her and asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

I answered, "Gotsumon... Kouji... He isn't with us anymore." Zoe looked more sad than ever. By then, more Gotsumons had gathered around the group. Some of them heard what I said and gasped. Within seconds, most of the Gotsumons from the village had gathered around. I looked at Zoe and said, "Zoe, bring Kouji's egg and wait for us over at the tree over there." I pointed to a big tree. I knew that Zoe would break down when she heard the story about how Kouji sacrificed his life.

ZOE'S POV

Takuya asked me to bring Kouji's egg and sit under a tree. I took Kouji's egg, whom Kouichi was holding, and went over to the tree. I knew that the rest did not want me to hear how Kouji sacrificed his life for me but every time someone asks, I could not resist having a flashback to the moment when KendoGarurumon leaped up to block the attack for me.

At the thought, tears gathered in my eyes. I tried to hold them back, but to no avail. Not wanting to let anyone see me cry, I walked a little deeper into the forest that surrounded the Gotsumon Village. My tears dripped onto the smooth blue surface of Kouji's Digi-egg.

There was a distant flash of light. I looked up and squinted through the thick canopy of leaves. It was a shooting star! 'I wonder if the rest had seen it,' I thought. The shooting star cheered me up a little and I stopped crying.

'A shooting star is meant for you to make a wish right?' I thought to myself. I looked down at the Digi-egg which was on my lap and I felt Kouji's D-tector and bandana in my pocket. Quietly, I whispered, "Please, please, please let Kouji's Digi-egg hatch." I imagined the smile on his face when he hatched and the happiness that the group would feel when Kouji's egg finally hatched.

Suddenly, the egg glowed light blue. I stared at it in hope that Kouji's egg would hatch. The egg floated up and a little away from me before glowing an even brighter blue. The rest must have seen the glow because I heard footsteps behind the tree I was at. The navy blue egg wobbled slightly before a crack appeared at its top. The crack widened and soon, the whole Digi-egg exploded in an inferno of light.

I expected to see Kouji standing in front of me, but who, or what was standing in front of me was totally not Kouji.