The Return to the Digital World

Lupine Laser: Homework, homework, homework. I bet my teachers have this stack of homework for the whole year in their storerooms and they just chuck it into our faces so that they can clear it... Argh, I seriously can't wait until exams are over, which would end in late August I think, so I just need to bear with it for a while longer. Wish me luck, guys! I do not own Digimon, as usual.

"Kouichi," Zoe said warmly, trying to act strong even though I knew that she was just trying not to cry. I looked up into her emerald eyes. "Kouji will be fine. Tomorrow, we will set off to Ophanimon's castle to ask her if she knows where Kouji is. Don't worry, we WILL find him and when we do, Lilithmon will pay." I nodded mutely. I decided to trust her words for now and I shook my head to clear any doubt. Tomorrow, we will go to Ophanimon's castle and find the whereabouts of my twin brother.

Chapter 34: The First Piece of the Puzzle

KOUICHI'S POV

As usual, I was the earliest to wake up. This time, I did not take my time to wake my friends up. All of them woke up immediately, remembering what we were supposed to do today. Even Takuya woke up and started to get ready. After everyone ate a fast breakfast of meat apples found the night before, Takuya cleared his throat and spoke, "As you all know, we are to go to Ophanimon's castle and come up with a plan to find and save Kouji. We will be too slow on foot, so Zoe, JP, Kouichi and I will bring the rest of you to the castle in our Spirit forms. I will be in Aldamon, Zoe in Zephyrmon, JP in Beetlemon and Kouichi in Rhihimon. Is everyone alright with that?"

Everyone nodded and Zoe, JP, Takuya and I transformed into our respective Spirit forms. I carried Bokomon and Neemon. Takuya carried Tommy and Yutaka, JP carried Shinya and Masaki and Zoe carried Aimi. Flying over the treetops, Bokomon estimated that we would most likely reach Ophanimon's castle in two hours. I was so distracted by thoughts about Kouji that almost dropped Bokomon and Neemon twice. I decided that I would just focus on flying instead after receiving several verbal lashings from Bokomon.

After an hour of flying, Takuya decided that we all needed a break so we looked for a water source to hydrate ourselves. Since we had a bird's eye view of most of the forest, we could easily spot a stream in the forest. We landed beside the stream but when Takuya, Zoe, JP and I were about to transform back into our human forms, we heard the sound of twigs snapping.

"Someone is here," Takuya whispered. We tensed while the others turned into their Spirit forms, Yutaka into Mercurymon, Tommy into Korikakumon, Masaki into Arbormon, Shinya into Gigasmon and finally Aimi into Ranamon. Our eyes darted about the trees and bushes around the stream.

What happened next totally shocked me. Emerging from some trees was none other than Lobomon. Tears nearly sprang into my eyes at the sight of my brother. I was too shocked to speak, so Takuya asked, "Kouji! Where were you? Are you alright?"

Lobomon looked irritated and gave a scowl, "None of your business. Your only business concerning me is to die!" The moment he said that, my heart almost shattered into pieces. How could he say that? I am his brother, his twin brother! I could tell, everyone was frozen at his or her spot. "Lobo Kendo!" Before anyone of us could react, he hit Beetlemon, who was the nearest to him, hard on his side.

Groaning in pain, Beetlemon almost turned back into JP but he held his form. "Kouji... What is the world has gotten into you?!" Beetlemon groaned.

"Nothing. I just decided to work for a certain master, that is all. Howling Laser!" Lobomon fired a burst of light energy from his left wrist at Korikakumon. This time, Korikakumon turned back into Tommy and Mercurymon immediately ran over to Tommy.

"Why you! I ought to teach you a lesson for hurting my brother!" Mercurymon yelled, blood boiling in him.

However, before he could move another step, Lobomon had already used Lobo Kendo on him, turning him back into Yutaka. His next target was Aldamon, who was already starting on his attack. "Solar Win-"

"Howling Laser!" Before Aldamon could fire his attack, his big ball of fire was canceled out by Lobomon's Howling Laser. Lobomon was even more powerful than before, though this was only his Human Spirit. His attack not only canceled out Aldamon's most powerful attack, it also went through and hit Aldamon squarely in the face and a groan was heard from Aldamon. "As you can see, I am much more powerful than you are. It is no use fighting me," he chuckled gleefully, giving us a smirk.

"Lobo Ken-" Lobomon was about to slice Gigasmon into pieces but he stopped mid-sentence and his head turned in the direction of somewhere to the left of him. "I will leave you as you are. My master is calling." With that, Lobomon leaped into the darkness of the trees.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Everything happened so fast that no one could process it fast enough. "I don't want to hear Kouji's name EVER again! He hurt Tommy!" Yutaka suddenly burst out.

Heads turned in his direction but no one spoke. "Erm Warriors? I think Kouji was possessed or controlled by something," Bokomon said.

"You mean SOMEONE?" I shouted. "It was Lilithmon! Kouji would NEVER attack us unless he was controlled! It just has to be her!" Zoe nodded in agreement. Soon, the rest shrugged and with silent agreement, everyone transformed back into their human forms except for Zoe, JP, Takuya and me. Picking up the rest of the group, we flew off to Ophanimon's castle even faster than we had before.