"Rise, little one." A voice echoed in Gigimon's ears. The tiny Digimon felt weightless, as if he was suspended in midair. He carefully opened his yellow eyes and looked around.

Gigimon was correct, he was floating, but he had no idea where he was. The In-Training Digimon searched for the speaker, but he saw nothing but darkness.

"Where are you?..." Gigimon said weakly, "Where am I?"

"Your subconscious." Gigimon could hear the voice clearly now. It was distorted, and demonic, like an evil beast. "I am you, little one. A part of you."

"I don't understand..."

"You got really banged up in your last battle." The voice chuckled, "If only you were a bit stronger."

"Um, yeah. I suppose..."

"I could give you that power."

"Seriously?" Gigimon brightened.

"Yes. All you have to do is let me use your body."

"What?"

"Yes, see, I'm the only one who knows how to unlock your true potential. So, if you put me in charge, I will unlock it."

"Um, I'm not sure."

"Think it over for a bit."

"No, no. I don't think I want to."

"What?"

"Look, I really don't want your help. I kind of want to do this myself. Get stronger by myself. No offense."

"Well, if you ever change your mind," The voice hissed, "You know where to find me."

...

Where am I?

Will asked himself. He had a splitting headache. God, I can't open I eyes...

The boy shifted around, feeling bedsheets under him. Well, I'm in a bed. That's good.He moved his head over, and rested on a warm pillow. Hm. Comfy.

Suddenly, flashes of his memory assaulted his mind. Visions of the Dark DigiDestined, their Ultimate Digimon, and the powerful attacks that they launched at Will and his friends that should have killed them.

So, am I dead?

Will wondered. He nestled closer into his pillow, trying to get warm. For some reason, he felt so cold.

"I have to get up." Will muttered out loud. He rose from the pillow and opened his eyes, which stinged from the light as they opened. He looked around and realized he was in his room. He noticed Spade, Viral, and Soul were there too, laying on comforters on the floor, passed out and clutching their In-Training partners. The room was dark, the only light there was the glow of the streetlamps outside He looked down to his pillow, and what he saw made his heart skip beats.

Platinum was sprawled under him, the 'pillow' he had rested on actually being her ample chest. Will felt his face burning with embarrassment. Viximon was twitching next to them.

"No. Have to stay focus." Will whispered. "But... No! Stop it, brain."

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Platinum stirred. She opened her eyes, violet orbs staring up into dark grey ones. "And what are you doing on top of me?"

"Ah! That is... an interesting question..." Will blushed as he pulled away from the redhead. "But I doubt that's really important right now."

"True. A better question to ask is why we're alive and in your house instead of charred remains in a barren quarry. Not that I'm complaining."

Will shrugged as he shook Viral, Soul, and Spade awake. The Digimon began to awaken as well. Gigimon looked a bit groggier than the other small creatures.

"What happened before?" Soul held her head in pain.

"We lost. That's what." Viral moaned. He was still lying on the floor, his arms covering his face.

Spade's eyes were barely open. "Yeah... We got rocked. What time is it?"

Pagumon noticed the electronic clock on the nearby wall. "It's eleven o'clock at night."

Platinum sighed, "I feel so weak..." The others nodded in agreement. Gigimon had already fallen back asleep. "It's late. We can sort this out in the morning." The red-haired Tamer picked up her Digimon and lowered herself to the floor to rest. Spade and Viral dozed off as well. Will fell back and closed his eyes, only to be awakened by a short whimper moments later.

"Will..." Soul whispered, "I... um..." The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow. Soul sat on the bed and looked at the tired Tamer.

"Will, I... had a bad dream..." Will could barely see the blush appearing on the blonde's face, as she was facing away from him. "It was about those Dark DigiDestined. What if we can't beat them, Will?"

"Don't worry, Soul." Will sat up in his bed and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "These Tamers are strong to us now, but soon, we'll train and become stronger."

"But what if that's not enough?" Soul muttered, her voice breaking. "What if we get attacked again? What if Lopmon gets..." The girl struggled to breathe.

Will wrapped his arms around the blonde, causing her to gasp in surprise. "I promise you, Soul. I will not let anything happen to you or Lopmon."

Soul fell back into the boy's chest, her breathing beginning to ease. "You really mean that?"

The male tamer rested his chin on her head. "If I don't, you have to punch me in the face as hard as you can."

Soul giggled quietly.

...

"Wake up, you two." A gruff voice said in the darkness. Will opened his eyes, and a large blue dragon glared menacingly above him.

"Gah!" Will cried. Soul, was next to him in the bed, eyes wide as saucers.

"You're the dragon from the concert!" Soul gasped.

"I'll explain later. Come downstairs." The dragon growled and then left the room.

Will noticed the other tamers were already awake. Viral looked at Will slyly.

"Good morning, player." He said, "Have a fun night?"

Soul blushed in embarrassment. Will turned red in annoyance. "Viral! I did not- I mean- I-"

"Nah. I get it." Viral winked. "I always knew you were more partial to blondes anyway." Will's face burned.

Platinum flicked the blu-and-red-haired boy in the back of the head. "Shut it. There's something downstairs for us."

Spade nodded, placing Pagumon on his head. "Hopefully, it will be the answers to our many questions."

Gigimon yawned. "Then let's hurry up and go then!"

The tamers and Digimon made their way downstairs. What awaited them was something no one had expected.

"Mom?" Platinum's eyes widend.

Spade did the same as he yelled out, "Mom and Dad!"

"Aunt Gale?" Viral gasped.

"What's my dad doing here?" Soul stepped back.

"And what's with all the Digimon?" Will tensed. "Mom, what's going on?"

Jerri sat in the center of their couch, Platinum's mother on her left and Spade's father on right. "We have something to tell you, Will. About us. And your father."

The large Dragon Digimon began to shrink, becoming a small cyan lizard with red wings and horns.

"Dracomon?" Will was taken aback.

Spade's mother tussled her brown hair. "This'll be a lot to take in. Brace yourselves, kids."

A large red bird stepped forward. It had clawed wings and white feathers on its face. "Make yourself comfortable." A feminine voice escaped her yellow beak. "We're going to be here for a while."

...

"You were all DigiDestined?" All five tamers fell backwards, literally speechless after the reveal of their parents' secret. Their Digimon bounced over to the older creatures standing with adults. A candle-shaped Digimon greeted the younger monsters, along with a green worm with pink claws, a purple mouth, and long antennae.

"Wormmon," Candlemon chuckled, "aren't they cute? These Digimon look very strong, don't they?"

The Insect Digimon nodded. "Which one of you is Spade's Digimon?"

Pagumon narrowed his already narrow eyes. "What's it to you?"

"I'm Wormmon, the partner of Spade's father, Rusl. And Candlemon here belongs to his mother, Sonya."

"Oh. Pleasure to meet you." Pagumon tried his best to emulate the polite personality he once had as Myotismon. Wormmon and Candlemon smiled at the purple blob.

Rusl, who was kneeling near the two Digimon, scooted over to them and patted his partner's head. His silvery hair was messy and unkempt, and he wore a pair of thick glasses with a glare that obscured his brown eyes. "Sorry we hadn't let you guys meet yet. We wanted to see how well you all could do on your own." Wormmon climbed up the man's arm and nestled on his shoulder.

"How is this even possible?" Will said as he and his friends stood back up.

Jerri nudged Platinum's mother like an old friend. "Perhaps you should start, Zelda. You always were the best storyteller."

Zelda nodded as she dusted off her lavender sundress. She had light red hair like Platinum, and had her purple eyes and freckles as well. Her voice was as elegant as her red bird Digimon, Hawkmon, sat next to her. "It was a long time ago. We were swept up by a strange electrical storm. When the stormed cleared, we found ourselves in the Digital World."

"You went to the Digital World?" Soul asked.

Rusl's wife, Marie, nodded. She had short blonde hair that brushed her shoulders. Her outfit consisted of a plain white blouse and a long green dress. "Yes. We were brought there in order to stop an evil Digimon known as Diaboromon from turning the Digital World into his own personal 5-course meal."

"He was big and scary!" A green lizard like Digimon, Betamon, yelped. He waved the orange fin on to of his head. Marie brushed his fin gently to calm the Aquatic Digimon.

"Of course, we stopped him," A woman with pink hair and a large brown jacket said, her youthful amber eyes looking over to Jerri. "but not without a price..."

"He may be gone now, but he died a hero." Jerri smiled gently. "So there's no need to open old wounds, Gale."

Gale nodded as a small golem Digimon shuffled next to her. "I miss Psychemon."

The pink-haired woman patted the golem. "We all do, Gotsumon."

Soul's father, Jacob, sat quietly behind the other parents. There was no Digimon with him, and he seemed quite intrigued by everything the others were saying.

Jerri sighed. "Anyway, after your fight with those other Tamers yesterday, I brought everyone together to talk to you all. I have a feeling that we might be helpful to you all."

Viral narrowed his eyes. "I don't get it. If you guys saved the world before, why don't you guys take over the Digimon fighting?"

"We were stripped of our ability to evolve past Champion!" Gotsumon stuck his tougue out. "We would if we could, since you all seem so incapable." Gotsumon was about to say more, but was caught off when Gale shushed him.

A sigh escaped from Hawkmon's beak. "We used to be very powerful Ultimate Digimon. Although, the only ones who could become a Mega Digimon were..."

"Psychemon and Liollmon." Wormmon murmured. "And since Psychemon's been deleted and no one has seen Liollmon or Bright-"

"Bright? Wha- my father is in on this too?" Will yelled out. "Where is he?"

The older Tamers and their Digimon shifted uncomfortably.

"No one knows." Will began to sway. "Where did..." He suddenly fell backwards. Viral quickly caught the dark-haired boy.

Jerri rushed to him. "He's still too weak from yesterday. This is all probably too much to take in at once. Could you bring him upstairs, Viral?"

Viral and Platinum together took Will upstairs, their Digimon following. Spade and Pagumon were about to go as well, but stopped as he saw Soul walk away with Kokomon.

"Hey, where are you going, Soul?" Spade wondered.

Soul looked back at him with troubled blue eyes. "I need some time with my thoughts. See you tomorrow." She then walked to the front door and exited the house.

After Spade shrugged and shuffled upstairs, Jerri and the other parents looked at each other with unease.

"There's something more to this. I can sense it." Dracomon hissed.

Jerri nodded. "I can feel it too. It's familiar, though."

"That's not right." Zelda bit her lip. "The only enemy that would still be alive now would be..."

Rusl suddenly began to shudder uncontrollably. "No..."

Marie placed her hands on the silver-haired man's shoulders. "It's okay, Rusl." She whispered. "Dagomon can't hurt you anymore."

...

"Soup's on!" Silver called out, carrying a pot of curry to a small metal table and five plates of rice. He pulled out a ladle and poured a spoonful of curry on each plate. Aoi, Kye, and their Dragon Digimon came to the table after hearing Silver's call.

Aoi stared at the questionable dish in front of her. "Sorry, my mother always told me not to accept food from psychopaths." The pink-haired woman's comment went unheard as the boys and the Digimon began stuffing themselves.

"That sounds like 'Agumon can have my portion' to me." The yellow dinosaur said as filled his mouth. Aoi nodded to her partner and pushed her plate away.

"So, where's Kai?" Silver mumbled with a full mouth. Kye pointed to himself, causing the younger boy to glare at him. "Other Kai."

"Having dinner with his own family." Aoi stretched. "Kinda wish I asked to come over or something. Beats the hell out of being here."

Scyth looked at the woman. "Why'd you choose this place as our base then?"

The warehouse they were staying in was old and dusty. The building was empty, save for the things the Dark DigiDestined brought there to make it more hospitable, such as stoves, beds, a table, an electric generator, and a few gas tanks.

"It's discrete. And I don't want anyone I know finding out about all of this. It would make things difficult."

Kye spoke up. "True. Remaking the world is something I'd rather keep secret from my family."

"True that. I mean, I don't really care either way, but I get that you do." Silver swallowed the rest of his meal. "Speaking of, what's our next objective?"

Aoi's stood up, her eyes sparkling. "Well, our main job is to find a way for Milleniummon to send his personal army to the Real World. Another is to destroy the DigiDestined." She wandered around the table. "Getting the armies here will be pretty difficult, but the DigiDestined... I believe with just a little coaxing, they'll crumble at our feet."

"Yeah! We'll grind em' into dust!" Silver pumped his fist into the air. "But how?"

Aoi placed her hand on the boy's head. "What's brown and pink and as emotionally unstable as her Tamer?"

Silver smiled. "You're an evil genius."

"That's why she's in charge." Kye said as he and Scyth finished their curry.

"Naturally... Hm?" Aoi blinked as she looked at a window that was behind where Silver was sitting. "What the hell? Is that...?"

"What? Is something wrong?" Agumon growled. The pink-haired woman shook her head.

"I thought I saw that Tamer and her Digimon." She said. "But that wouldn't make sense."

"Strange..." Kye muttered as he got up from the table.

"It must have been someone else..." Silver stood as well.

"But she looked exactly like her." Aoi bit her lip.

"Perhaps it's some sort of doppelgänger." Scyth laughed.

"I don't like this." Agumon hissed, "I feel as though taking out these DigiDestined is going to be a lot more difficult then we had first estimated."