Chapter 4

Past:

Serena and Tommy lead the way as the group consisting of them, Poyomon, Bokomon, Neemon, Takuya, Zoey, and JP head out of the Flame Terminal. Takuya kept a careful eye on the younger ones, but he knew damn well his little sister could defend herself somewhat, their father had paid for her to take Tae Kwan Do lessons and was up to the Red Belt in the ranking system, she was due for her next ranking test soon which would be the red/black belt, one step away from the black belt. Takuya never missed her ranking tests just as she never missed his major soccer games.

Zoey and JP were still smarting from the lecture Takuya had given them on responsibility and the fact that the nine and ten year old knew better than to wander off without telling someone. Thankfully Agumon had warned Takuya that he would need to eat a lot to replenish the strength that he used up digivolving, that and rest. They'd eaten at Flame Terminal and then set out. The goggle wearing twelve year old watches as Tommy and his little sister continue to bond. Tommy was good for her as she had so very few, all of one, friend. Sure, his friends looked out for her and treated her well, some of them only out of fear of what he would do to them if he found out they could have protected her and hadn't. His temper was that fearsome.

Night was falling and it was Tommy that spotted the village on the cliff, they'd gotten a message earlier telling them to go to the Forest Terminal. Of course, they couldn't just take the Trailmon there, that would be way too easy. Serena was immediately wary around the Candlemon, she could sense something was off. When Takuya shoved them all in the river she almost cursed him out. Thankfully he noticed quickly enough that his little sister was not in fact treading water. " Seriously, you haven't been taught how to swim yet? " Takuya asks her.

Serena rolls her eyes at him, " Like my mother and step-father care if I know how to swim, Taku-nii. Dive, now! "

Serena makes sure to take a deep breath before Takuya pulls her and Tommy under, and they all head down stream into a tiny alcove, " Taku-nii, fire isn't going to beat them. You have to fight smart this time. "

Takuya looks at her, " Then how the hell am I supposed to beat them. I'm the freaking Warrior of Flame, if you hadn't forgotten, imooto. "

" Like I said, fight smart. Treat this like a soccer game, Taku-nii. " Serena retorts.

Takuya's eyes widen in understanding, he was to treat the Candlemon like a tricky opponent on the soccer field. He really did underestimate his little sister way too much sometimes. Once Takuya was gone Serena turns to Tommy, " You need to find your inner courage and claim the Ice Spirit, Tommy. Taku-nii is going to need help, I know that much for certain and the Ice Spirit is right in this area where we are. "

Tommy looks into her chocolate eyes and finds himself nodding. He would find his inner courage, bring it forward and help out Takuya. Zoey and JP watch as the Spirit of Ice reveals itself and Tommy claims it. Then he smiles and races forward to help the waxed up Agunimon, he'd lasted longer against the Candlemon than he would have in a few different dimensions due to his little sister's advice and the training one kind Agumon had given him, " Hey, you big meanies, leave him alone. " Tommy calls out, his D-Tector held in his right hand while the fractal code swirls around his left, " Execute...Spirit Evolution! Kumnemon! "

The little bear darts forwards, " Crystal Freeze! "

The Candlemon retreats and one digivolves up to Wizardmon. Serena watches the battle from her perspective, " Agunimon, Kumnemon, the Wizardmon with a shadow is the real one! "

" Blizzard Blaster! "

" Pyro Tornado! "

The pair were quick to act upon her advice and Agunimon claims Wizardmon's fractal code and manages to restore the bridge across the valley. The elder then agrees to allow them to stay in the village overnight and Serena looks at her older brother, " You could at least dry us off, Taku-nii. "

Takuya smirks and does so, Agumon had also taught him how to harness his element.

Present:

Today they're walking through a forest, Tommy was carrying Wanyamon while Candlemon and Betamon stick close to their partners. TK was excited to have someone else around that understood what it was like to be a younger sibling. That bonded him, Serena, Joe, and Tommy quite easily as they could share stories and commiserate over the reckless and idiotic things their older brothers had done over the years. Serena was the only one whom wasn't tormented by Takuya. Sure, they teased each on a fairly regular basis, but Takuya loved her too much to ever let anyone hurt her, himself included.

He had yet to break a promise to her and if he had to reschedule he did his damnedest to let her know ahead of time. One thing he never missed was her birthday. His mother knew damn well to never plan any family things aorund Serena's birthday as those were brother/sister bonding trips. This year had been camping, Takuya was still trying to figure out what to do next year. Hell, Shinya had even started to throw in with those trips, helping him save up the money if he wanted to pay for the trip himself.

The veterans all blink as they take in all the road signs around them even while Matt imitates a tour guide talking about that very thing, " I have seen strange here in Digiworld, but this takes weird to a whole new level. What the hell is going on around here anyhow? " Takuya mutters under his breath.

Tommy and Serena were thinking the same thing, this was not the Digiworld they knew. What had happened to Digiworld in the time they had been gone? The trees end and they reach a desert, Takuya freezes, " It can't be, this can't be what remains of Flame Terminal. "

" Flame Terminal? " Tai asks.

" Agunimon's home, where Taku-nii found the Human Spirit of Flame. " Serena answers Tai.

Takuya's eyes narrow, the fractal code had been stolen from his home and whomever had done so was going to pay for this.

Infinity Mountain:

Devimon shivers as he sees the fierce look on the Flame Warrior's face, his ass was so much grass for what he had done to Flame Terminal. Everyone had learned the last time that you did not piss off the Warrior of Flame, deliberately attacking his little sister had gotten several digimon permanently deleted for their trouble. He was fiercely protective of what happened to be his and Flame Terminal was his home The fallen angel knew that when the time came he'd most likely be facing Aldamon, the Fused Warrior of Flame, but only after the new kids had learned what they had needed to.

Ophanimon's Castle:

The three Celestials wince when Takuya finds out what had happened to Flame Terminal. Once all of the partner digimon for the new children's had digivolved Takuya was going to rip Devimon to shreds slowly for messing with his digital home. Serena would be even worse when they reached the area where she had gotten her Beast Spirit. Tommy would unleash Korikkakumon on the fool whom had taken the fractal code for his digital home as well. " This is not going to be pleasant. If the other finds out what we allowed the Sovereigns to allow to happen on our watch the legendary Warriors will take it out of us. Koichi nearly died helping to save this world. " Cherubimon says.

Seraphimon flinches, " They did what we could not, save the Digital World. That is why the spirits elected to go back with them. Plus, Ranamon and Tsukimon didn't dare separate from young Serena as that would have hurt the girl deeply, them being bonded to her very soul. "

" Admit it, I chose well for the recipients of the spirits, though I must admit Light and Water are the ones that generally get along, not Flame and Water. " Ophanimon says.

Cherubimon winces at the reminder of the disharmony amongst Light and Water. Water had been deeply wounded emotionally while growing up and Light had hit those wounds with his unthinking words, he still hadn't given her a sincere apology. He hadn't done anything of the like since, mostly because Takuya would kill him. What he had done to Cherubimon himself for using his little sister against him still gave the angel nightmares.

Yokomon Village:

Takuya was still fuming over what had become of his Digital home. Agunimon wasn't much better either, truth be told. The Warrior of Flame was ready to inflict some serious damage. Wanyamon was surprised that his partner was the Warrior of Ice. Serena makes sure to stay close to her brother, mostly so he wouldn't go and do something stupid. Takuya manages to not scare the Yokomon, they were innocent in all this, but there would be a reckoning by the time he was done with the fucking moron whom had stolen the Fractal Code of Flame Terminal.

Takuya, Serena, and Tommy Beast Spirit evolve to evacuate the Yokomon while they leave Tai to handle the current situation of Meramon going crazy. The three warriors suspected the Black colored Gear they had seen earlier to be the cause. They were proven right after Biyomon digivolved to protect Sora. As Birdramon she was able to drive out the Black Gear and Meramon returned to his normal self. BurningGreymon, Korikkakumon, and Tsukimon return the Yokomon and end their evolutions before diving into the seeds that the Yokomon were offering as food, they had discovered they tasted extremely good toasted so they had Agumon and Candlemon toast them.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Digimon.