Sonic was boosting through a city in Cyber Space. After bouncing up a couple of springs he dashed into his exit.

"Thorn Thrust!" Palmon finished off a Yokomon in a digital tunnel and a portal appeared. Takumi picked up a blue sphere from the ground and he along with Palmon flew into the portal.

Agumon and Gabumon circled around Nokia. "Ahhh! Ahhh!? What, what, what are you!?"

"Umm, who are you?"

"It… It can talk?! It's so… so adoooooorable!"

The scene changed showing Nokia talking with Takumi in front of Rainbow Turntable. "Wow, you're a cyber sleuth now? That's great! A cyber sleuth…What is that, exactly? What's a cyber sleuth?"

Then it showed Nokia with Takumi and Kyoko at the agency. "Actually, I want to look for some Digimon."

After seeing that conversation it changed to Takumi and Nokia in front of Agumon and Gabumon where they explained the Digital World, and that they came to EDEN for a reason…one they forgot.

Takumi, Palmon and Sonic appeared in front of a gate. The red light turned blue, and more keys floated down to Sonic. "Sweet. This should help us get another Emerald."

Takumi looked to the left to see Nokia and Amy still in a holographic state. "Oh, hey girls. You two feeling alright? Is your condition…comfortable?"

Nokia sighed. "Not the word I'd use."

"It certainty is unsettling." Amy nodded. "But it makes a big difference being able to at least talk to you two."

"What was it like inside that weird cage?" Takumi asked.

"We couldn't see or hear anything besides each other." Nokia said. "It was like everything around us didn't exist."

"Like looking through a kaleidoscope that was always shifting." Amy frowned. "I couldn't tell if I was coming, going, or moving at all. I'd have gone crazy if Nokia wasn't there with me! And if you hadn't gotten us out…"

Sonic smiled. "You're tough, I know you'd have hung in there. Still, I'm glad Takumi and I could get you two out. And we won't stop until you're back to normal!"

"Thanks. By the way, what was that?" Amy asked.

"What was what?"

"We were waiting out here after seeing you guys go into that…thingamajing…then I just had a bunch of flashbacks about meeting Agumon and Gabumon!" Nokia said.

"Oh, so you see those visions too?" Sonic asked. "Yeah, for some reason after Takumi goes through this, we're treated to some of his memories."

"It is pretty strange how we see all of my memories but none of yours Sonic." Takumi said. "I wounder if it's because I'm not from this world. What do you think Palmon? …Palmon?"

Takumi's Digimon was shaking. "I feal…kinda funny…"

"What?" Takumi looked at his Digimon worryingly. "Hold on, let me see if I got something!" He put on his goggles and opened his menu. What immediately caught his eye though was the blue spheres he picked up circling. "What's this?" He reached out and touched them and his glove emitted yellow light onto Palmon.

The spheres appeared around Palmon and flew into her as she started spinning in place. "Palmon Digivolve to…" He body became pure green. Pink petals flew around her as she spun around. The flower on her head became spiky hair and in a snap, she became a giant green cactus with spiky hair, arms, legs and red boxing gloves. "Togemon!"

"Whoa!" Sonic stepped back.

"Ahh!" Amy stumbled. "What happened to Palmon?!"

Takumi looked at her in awe. "You Digivolved!"

Togemon threw a few punches. "Alright! I'm back in the game!"

"So, this is what you were talking about?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, this is how Digimon grow." Takumi explained. "As they get stronger, they take on new forms. Palmon was a Rookie Level. Togemon is Champion."

"So does this mean you can fight this Royal Knight now?"

"I doubt it. Royal Knights are all fully evolved. But it looks like those orbs I found in Cyber Space allow Digimon to Digivolve."

"So, if we go into more of them, you can level Palmo-I mean Togomon up enough to take on the knight?"

Takumi nodded. "I think so."

"Then that's all the more reason to look for more of these Gates."

Amy looked up and saw a red light rising into the sky. "Hey, what's that?"

Everyone looked. "That looks like the light that led us to the Chaos Emerald." Sonic said.

"Is another one there?" Togomon asked.

"Let's check it out." Takumi said. Everyone nodded.

Amy turned to Nokia. "So those little orange and blue guys were your Digimon?"

"Yup! Agumon and Gabumon! Aren't they just the cutest?"

Amy giggled. "You three seem really close. It kind of reminds me of Cream and her Chao, Chacola and Cheese."

"What's a Chao?"

"Well, you see…"

"You're absolutely positive it was him?" Dr. Eggman asked.

"Blue quills, red shoes, white gloves, cocky attitude?"

Eggman groaned. "Yup, that's him. Sonic is on the island. Juuuuuust wonderful."

"And that's not all. I saw him with someone from my world. With a Digimon."

"What? Really?"

"Yes. It seems like he's working with Sonic. I saw them rescuing two people from that cage. One of them was a pink…creature similar to Sonic in a red dress."

"Sounds like Amy Rose. And the other?"

"The other one was Nokia Shiramine. She's also from my world."

"Is that why you're dressed like that and using a voice filter? You nearly scared the daylights out of me!"

Eggman was talking to someone concealed in a black coat with a hood over their head wearing red pants, and a white with black marks. "Let's just say there may be a chance those two might recognize my face and voice. Sage set this up for me."

Eggman shook his head. "Whatever. Just keep an eye on Sonic. Who knows what stupidity that one's going to pull."

"Yes Doctor. Also, there's something else about the two from my world. I overheard their conversation, and it sounds like they're well aware of Digimon."

"I thought you said you were the only one who remembers them."

"I thought so too." the man shrugged. "But they specifically mentioned the Digital World by name."

"That's interesting…You said there was a Digimon with them right now? How big of a threat are we talking?"

"Not much. It was a Palmon. A Rookie level Digimon."

"Good."

"But more importantly, if these two do remember maybe that can help us find a way to the Digital World?"

Eggman rubbed his chin. "Possibly. Maybe if you could bring one of them here…"

"Nokia is in an unstable state. It's like she's there and not there at the same time. That just leaves Takumi. But it won't be easy with that Digimon and Sonic bodyguarding him…"

The small girl in black aproached. "If he is allied with Sonic, then I object to bringing him anywhere near the Doctor even if we restrained him. I have analyzed a better scenario."

Sonic and Takumi filled up more of the map on the way to the light via puzzles. Sonic halted in front of an enemy that consisted of multiple spheres. He used his Homing Attack repeatedly knocking some of the spheres off, but then he got zapped when it crackled with red electricity and the spheres grew back. Sonic grunted standing back up. "Okay…that's gonna to be annoying."

"Not if we take all the spheres out at once." Takumi said. "Togemon, do your thing!"

"Right!" Togemon ran in front of Sonic as the enemy aproached. "Needle Spray!" She shot pins from her body that blew the spheres away. Except a black one.

"That's gotta be the main body! Go for it!"

"Coconut Upper!" Togemon threw an uppercut that sent the core flying before it exploded.

"Nice job." Sonic said. "This Digivolution really makes a difference."

"You thought that was impressive, you should see what I can do as Lillymon! Or better yet, Rosemon!"

Takumi smiled. "Seeing you grow up all over again…it's a real treat." He put on his goggles. "We're closing in on the Chaos Emerald."

"Roger that." Sonic dashed ahead. Takumi and Togemon followed. Soon they came upon the alter holding the red emerald. Sonic held up his hand and the keys opened the vault. The red emerald appeared in his hand.

Amy and Nokia ran over. "There you guys are!" Nokia said. "Don't leave us so far behind you jerks!"

Takumi squinted at her. "Oh, now look who's keeping who waiting."

"Hey!"

Amy aproached Sonic. "Never mind that, did you find the Chaos Emerald?"

Sonic turned around and showed them the Emerald. "Ta-da. This makes two."

"Five left then."

Nokia stared at it. "Uh, guys? That's not an emerald, that's a diamond."

"Oh, boy." Sonic mumbled.

"Diamond?" Amy asked. "No, that's a Chaos Emerald."

"But it's shaped like a diamond! You know what, I'm just calling this a Chaos Diamond from now on."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Sure. You do that."

Takumi put on his goggles. "Still no idea where the next one is. We'll need to clear out more of this map."

"We'll also need to find more of these gates." Togemon said.

"Nokia and I will go look around on our own." Amy said. "We'll meet up with you two later."

"Sounds like a plan." Sonic nodded. He boosted ahead and Takumi and Togemon flew after him.

The masked man and the mysterious girl looked up at something gigantic. "Okay… Is this really necessary?" the man asked.

"The hedgehog is dangerous and destructive. We need an effective diversion." the girl replied.

"And you're sure you can control this thing?"

"Not completely. But I can prompt it to act against Sonic. While he's occupied with that, we can proceed with our plan for the Digimon Tamer."

The man sighed. "Just try not to hurt him."

The girl nodded. "Understood."

Takumi and Togemon reached the end of Kawloon Level 3. "This place… We found Agumon and Gabumon here."

"That's right." Togemon said. "This is also where we fist ran into that weirdo."

"You mean Jimmy Ken?"

"Yeah. Wounder what that guy's up to?"

Just as Takumi stepped towards the end, two Meramon and a Devimon appeared in front of them. "I guess these are the last enemies of this area."

Togemon stepped in front of Takumi ready to battle when she noticed something. "Wait! Takumi, look!"

Takumi spotted someone doing the air guitar behind the Digimon. "Jimmy Ken?! What are you doing here?!" The man didn't answer. "Um, hello?! Can you hear me over there?" he hollered.

"Takumi…I don't think that's him."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know…it just doesn't feel right. I think it's just a copy of him. Like the Digimon here."

Takumi looked up. "Now that you mention it…aren't these the Digimon he used back then?"

Togemon pounded her fists together. "I may be doing this solo, but I'm still stronger than I was back then. Let's do this."

"Right. Start with the Meramon. Dealing with a Virus Type will be hard enough without having them gang up on you."

"Okay!" Togemon ran up and punched one of the Meramon. She dodged a punch from the other then upercutted.

"Death Claw!" Devimon scratched at Togemon knocking her back.

"Fire Fist!" The two Meramon ran up and threw a flurry of fiery punches at Togemon who blocked as many as she could. Devimon reeled back and got ready to charge.

"Needle Spray!" Takumi ordered. Togemon unleashed a burst of needles that damaged and stunned all three of them. "Good! Now take out the Meramon!"

"Light Speed Jabbing!" Togemon ran up and bombarded the Meramon with blows until they went down and dissolved.

Devimon recovered and charged again. "Deadly Nail!"

"Counter the attack!" Takumi said.

"Coconut Counter!" Togemon batted Devimon's arm away then punched him in the face knocking him away. Devimon stretched his arm at her, but she grabbed it and swung overhead, slamming him to the ground.

"Finish him off!"

Togemon jumped into the air and then charged down on Devimon. "Coconut Punch!" Togemon hit the Devimon hard destroying it. The fake Jimmy Ken disappeared leaving behind a blue orb and a portal opened.

"Nice job!" Takumi smiled. He and Togemon fist bumped. Takumi picked up the orb and they left through the portal.

In Green Hill Zone at sunset. Sonic collected one last Red Star Ring before running up a hill and dashing into a portal.

Nokia stood with Agumon and Gabumon with a young man with black hair, a blue coat and a weird mask along with two little girls in white dressed with animal hoods. The two of them helped Nokia realise that she was holding her Digimon back. And what she had to do.

"To be honest, I don't really know what love is. But that masked man taught me one thing… It's not enough to just think it or say it! Love is meaningless if you don't express it!"

The scene continued to play out. "Whooooaaaa!"

Agumon Grew drastically in size. His body had blue strips and a brown horned shell appeared on his head. "Greymon!"

Gabumon got on all fours as his body transformed, turning him into a large blue and white wolf. "Gaurumon!"

Nokia did a take. "Greymon? Garurumon? What's going on?!"

"It's Digivolution!" The little girl with the blue animal hood replied. "Proof that your Digimon are developing!"

Things continued to play out. The two girls digivolved and battled Nokia's Digimon, along with the masked man who had three Digimon of his own. It ended after Nokia departed with Agumon and Gabumon, proud of what they achieved.

Sonic and Takumi emerged from the gate and keys floated to Sonic's hand. "That's…a first." Sonic said.

"Yeah." Takumi said. "I didn't expect this Cyber Space to start replicating humans too…"

"Huh? What are you- Nevermind." Sonic shook his head. "What I mean is, usually we see memories of you when we go through these things, this time we didn't see you at all."

"Huh. You're right." Takumi said. "I guess those were Nokia's memories. Does it have something to do with her condition?"

"Well in any case, she really cares about Agumon and Gabumon."

Takumi smiled. "Yeah. She loves those two to bits."

"Gotta say though, watching you two raise Digimon and make them grow kinda reminds me of raising Chao."

"What's a Chao?" Togemon asked.

Sonic looked around. "I wounder if there's a Chao Garden hidden around here, then I can show you two… Eh, might not be the right climate."

Takumi looked at a round stone-like creature with a face frolicking on the gate. "I take it, it's not one of those things we've been seeing around here?"

"No. I don't know what these things are. Are they the residents of this island or something?"

A yellow light set off in the distance. "I think that's our next Emerald." Takumi said pointing at it.

Togemon and Sonic turned around to see it. "I bet you're right. Let's go." Sonic dashed through the field and Takumi and Togemon flew behind him.

Takumi felt something weird. "Uh, guys, did you feel that?"

"It's probably the wind, don't worry about it."

Sonic was wrong. Dead wrong. And Takumi would notice this when something even bigger then the Asura appeared out of nowhere in front of them. "Sonic!"

The hedgehog looked up as a giant foot hovered above him. He dove, and he, Takumi and Togemon narrowly avoided being crushed. They rolled onto the grass. "What was that?" Togemon grunted.

Sonic looked up. "Whoa!"

Takumi gasped as the colossal monster turned around. Each step it took to do so made a devastating thud. "What the heck is that thing and where did it come from?!"

"That's definitely not a Digimon!" Togemon said.

Sonic stared up at it as they stood up. "I guess that's one of the "Titans" keeping Amy and Nokia trapped."

"And we're expected to fight that thing?! He's big enough to arm wrestle Exemon!"

Takumi squinted. "Wait…what's that?"

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

"Look. Near its head." Takumi pointed at a small pale girl floating in the air.

She held up her hand. The Titan slowly slackened. She then teleported closer to the three. "You. Leave. Immediately."

"What?"

"Where did you come from? Are you trapped too?" Sonic asked.

In a flash of red someone else appeared in front of them. A man concealed in a black coat with a hood, wearing a white mask. "I'd listen to her if I were you." The mask he wore came with some kind of voice filter.

"What the-Who are you?" Takumi asked.

"This is for your own good."

"Do not approach the Titan." The girl added.

Sonic just smiled. "Sorry, kid, but I've got a job to do." He started running towards the Titan. "Come on Togemon, let's get em!"

"O-okay!" Togemon hurried after him.

The girl watched them as Takumi passed her and her companion as well. "If we are fortunate, it will destroy you."

Only Takumi wasn't too far ahead to hear her. And when he did, he stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "What?" The girl raised her hand and it glowed red. Takumi then noticed the Titan moving again and faced her. "You're the one controlling this thing, aren't you? Shut it down! Now!"

The girl looked at him. "Takumi Aiba."

The teen blinked. "Huh?" Sonic grinned as the Titan looked down at him while he and Togemon aproached.

"We require something from you." the girl said.

"Just for the record, this is nothing personal." the masked man added.

"What are you- Takumi didn't notice five of the smaller enemies he and Sonic fought early on came out of red holes in the ground behind him. And then rushed at him from behind. "Gah!" One of them latched onto his back. Two more grabbed his arms. The moment he fell to his knees, two more grabbed his legs anchoring him in place as his arms were pulled apart form each other. "Hey! Let…go!" He grunted as he tried to shake them off and they wrestled him to the ground before pulling his limbs away from each other keeping his body just off the ground and holding his head still.

Togemon came to a halt as the Titan lifted its foot again and turned around to see her partner being restrained. "Takumi!"

Sonic halted and looked behind him when he saw Togemon running back towards Takumi who was trapped. "Hey!" Just when he was about to run back the Titan slammed its foot into the ground in front of him making the ground shake. Chunks of the rocky ground flew into the air in a trail towards him. He yelled as he was sent soaring into the sky. Soon Togemon was sent flying with him and the rocks.

Takumi could see it from where he was. "Togemon! Sonic!"

The man pulled out a monitor and did something before looking at the girl. She held her hand towards the screen, and it turned red. She nodded to him, and he nodded back before putting his hand on the screen and turning it red before he aproached Takumi. Takumi continued struggling but the enemies wouldn't let him go. He panicked as the man held his glowing palm towards his face and tried desperately to move his head away. Meanwhile, Sonic and started bouncing across the rocks with his Homing Attack while Togemon jumped across them and they aproached the Titan. He started slamming against its head repeatedly. "Lightspeed Jabbing!" Togemon started throwing punch after punch at the Titan.

"Ahhh… Uhh…" Takumi groaned as the man gripped his face with his hand. He started to feel dizzy. Then memories flashed through his head forcefully. All sorts of memories. After it was done, he blacked out and went limp in the grip of the robots.

The masked man stepped back staring at Takumi. Then he looked at his hand. "I don't believe it…"

The girl floated next to him. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yeah…and then some."

"Coconut Punch!" Togemon threw one more powerful punch at the Titan as Sonic used one more Homing Attack and they bounced off of it. "Okay, not to point out the obvious, but this isn't working!"

Sonic growled. It didn't even react to all those attacks. "Yeah. I noticed." The Titan then grabbed them each in one hand. "Gah!"

The robots gently set Takumi onto the grass. The masked man looked at him. "The Chosen Ones…"

"Hey!" He and the girl looked up to see Nokia and Amy running towards them. "Leave my pal alone!" The red head yelled.

"Wait, where's Sonic?!" Amy asked. The man pointed at the Titan and the girls turned around to look at it as it set a foot on the ground and violently threw Sonic then Togamon. They smashed into ancient looking pillars before slamming into the side of a mountain. They fell down and bounced off the rocky wall before rolling onto a metal surface. Togemon was instantly knocked out. Sonic tried to get back up, but he soon passed out. "Sonic!"

Nokia glared at the mysterious duo. "What did you do?!"

"Don't worry Nokia, Takumi will be fine." The masked man said. "I have no desire to hurt him." He looked at his hand. "Especially not after learning about this…"

The girl froze. "What? How do you know my name?" The floating girl looked up at the Titan. She put a hand on the man's shoulder, and they disappeared in smoke. The Titan soon vanished afterwards. "What was that?!" Nokia asked.

Amy turned to her. "Nokia, stay with Takumi! I'm going after Sonic!"

"Oh snap, that's right!" As Amy ran off Nokia rushed to Takumi's side. "Takumi, are you okay?!" She tried to shake him, but her hand phased right through him. She looked at it with an upset expression before dropping to her knees. "No…why won't this stupid world let me do anything?! Takumi, can you hear me?! Say something!"

In a wide open area, the girl held up her hand and the Titan shut down. "What's wrong?" The masked man looked at her. "I thought you wanted to finish the hedgehog off?"

"I was on the verge of losing control. You didn't want Takumi to get hurt, didn't you?"

The man nodded. "I see…thank you Sage." He then looked at his hand. "Evreything else went according to plan. I was able to scan Takumi's Mental Data."

"Did it provide the answers you sought?"

"I had a lot of questions during that incident back home and this…answers every single one of them."

The girl floated over and put her hand on the man's palm, scanning the memories he observed. "How fascinating. So that is how it all began."

"Yeah…Now I know everything. Let's get this over to the Doctor. It might help him find a way to the Digital World."

"Affirmative." The girl teleported with him again.

Takumi opened his eyes and found himself floating in a void of white and black. "Where am I…?" He looked around.

"Who…are you?"

Takumi gasped as he hard a voice. "Who's there?"

"Who are you really?"

Takumi felt chills as he realized that was his voice. "I…I'm Takumi Aiba…"

"Are you now?"

"What?"

"When your half-cyber body collapsed, your data was dispersed."

"Yeah, and then Alphamon put it back together and reinstalled it into my body."

"She said herself it was impossible to regather it. She instead used data from your Digimon…so tell me…are you really Takumi Aiba? Or are you just a copy made by them in his body?"

Takumi trembled. "What…? No…No that can't be! I…I have all my memories! I think and feel the same way I always have!"

"What you "remember" "think" and "feel" is based off of memories your Digimon have of you. That proves nothing. What if the real Takumi perished that day? Or maybe he's still trapped there between dimensions. Would that not make you a fake?"

Takumi clutched his head. "Shut up! SHUT UP! That's a lie! I'm Takumi! Nobody else!"

"If by some chance you are him…the fool who doomed the Digital World that day…You know what it is you deserve." Takumi gasped and looked in front of him to see an Eater. It roared then lunged at him.

"TAKUMI WAKE UP!"

"AAAAH!" Takumi's eyes snapped open as he pushed himself off his back. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he panted.

Nokia sighed in relief. "Finally! You nearly gave me a heart attack you jerkface!"

Takumi took a minute to calm down. "Oh…What…what just happened?"

Nokia looked at him worryingly. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Are you okay? I think that masked man and that weird girl did something to you."

Takumi gasped and rose to his feet as what just happened came back to him. "Wait, where did they go?! Where's the Titan?! What happened to Togemon and Sonic?!"

Nokia panicked as she stood up to. "I don't know, the just disappeared with that giant after they chucked Sonic and your Digimon across the island! Amy went to go find them."

"What?! Which way?!"

Nokia pointed in front of him. "That way! I think they hit that mountain over there!"

"Oh no…Come on!" Takumi started running as fast as he could. Nokia followed.

Sonic gasped as he sat up panting. He looked around him. Togemon was nearby still out cold. "H'okay. We're not taking that thing out the traditional way."

"Sonic!" Amy climbed up to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, been through worse…What happened to Takumi? Did those two take him?"

"He's out cold. Nokia's with him. But those two vanished along with that monster."

"Okay…So now what?"

"Ohhh…" They looked at Togemon as she rolled over and got up. "Did anyone get the number of that Titan?"

"Oh, hey Togemon."

"I'm sure Takumi and Nokia will be here soon." Amy said. "Let's wait for them…"

"Bwa, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Inside Cyber Space Dr. Eggman burst into laughter. "Into a mountain? Nice!"

"The Titan chucked Sonic into it like a baseball." the masked man replied. "You should have seen it."

"I wish I did. Atta girl Sage!"

"Thank you." the girl replied.

Eggman then caught his breath. "Ho, ho, ho…So anyway…about that kid with him…"

The man typed on a screen. "I was able to scan through his Mental Data. I'm sending you what we learned now." A screen appeared in Eggman's floating pod, and he started viewing Takumi's memories. "There's a lot to go through so we're going to head back while you look it over."

"Yes, you do that."

"Are you two okay?" Takumi asked. He, Nokia, Togemon, Sonic and Amy all were sitting down where Sonic and Togemon landed.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sonic replied.

"Same here." Togemon said. "What about you? What did those guys do to you anyway?"

"I don't know…they said they needed me for something…Then when that guy with the mask grabbed me, I started having rapid flashbacks…I think…I think he was peering into my memories."

"Huh. Maybe that's how he knew my name?" Nokia muttered.

"But what did they need from your memories?" Amy asked.

"I have no idea…" Takumi replied.

"So, not to rub salt in the wound or anything, but that giant completely folded you guys like an omelet!" Nokia said. "What was that thing anyway?!"

"That girl said it herself. It was definitely one of the Titans." Takumi said. "And it looked like she was the one pulling it's strings."

"Great. So, what can we do?" Togemon asked.

Takumi stood up. "We're done for if it takes us on again. We need to Digivolve you as fast as we can. We might even need you to reach that form you used when we fought the Mother Eater."

"We're going to need more than that." Sonic said getting up. "We're going to need the Chaos Emeralds. And maybe a little bit of luck."

"Say what?" Nokia asked with a skeptical look. "What are a bunch of diamonds going to do to stop that gigantic disaster from turning you into jelly?"

"If Sonic gets all seven Chaos Emeralds, he can turn into Super Sonic." Amy explained.

"Super" Sonic?" Takumi asked. "Sounds like something from an anime back home."

"Don't underestimate a Super Form! Super Sonic took down giant, godly beings before! Perfect Chaos, Dark Gia, the Time Eater. I'm sure it's just what we need to take out the Titan!"

"Let's hope you're right." Nokia said. "Okay, so how many more Chaos Diamonds are we looking for?"

"We just confirmed the location of the third one before that Titan attacked us." Takumi said. "So, once we secure it, we'll need four more. But we also need to look for keys that can be found in gates."

Sonic held up a finger. "But to do that, we'll need to look for gears held by giant enemies."

"That's…a lot to search for." Nokia groaned. "Like this place wasn't confusing enough."

Amy nodded. "These ruins are almost like a puzzle."

"I know, right?" Sonic shrugged. "I don't even know what I'm doing with most of these. I'm just running on instinct."

Takumi thought for a moment. "Well, the energy that powers them is linked to Cyber Space. And some of that power seemed to go into you when you freed Amy and Nokia. So maybe it's giving you some kind of insight? These "Ancients" sure are a mystery…"

"Maybe they used that link among themselves." Amy suggested. "Like instead of a language, they shared their thoughts and feelings directly!"

"Maybe." Sonic folded his arms. "All I know is the idea of the map gets updated in Takumi's goggles, which brings me one step closer to rescuing you!"

Nokia looked at herself. "Please hurry. This state is driving me nuts."

"Being all ghost-y you mean?" Togemon asked.

"Yeah. When Takumi was unconscious, I couldn't do anything. I tried to shake him awake but…" She reached to Takumi, but her hand phased through his body. "I couldn't do anything. It feels like you guys are right there yet…you're so far away at the same time."

Amy looked at the sky. "I guess it feels kind of…detached? Have you ever flown around in a dream? Like you're lighter than air? That's what it feels like to me, anyway. I just wish I could land and be whole again."

"Hang in there Amy." Sonic said. "We'll figure something out. Now then, let's get to work."

"Right." Takumi nodded. "We should get back to following that light. An Emerald should be there."

"Amy and I will search around on our own." Nokia said. "We'll link up later. Be careful."

Takumi nodded as they parted. He and Sonic went down the metal platform before noticing a taal being of stone with moss on its body. "Hey, what's that over there?"

The creature opened its eyes as they aproached. "At last we meet, Sonic the Hedgehog and Takumi Aiba."

"Whoa! It talks?" Takumi gasped.

Sonic folded his arms. "I don't think we've met?"

"Just like the Koco, you have touched the Digital Dream."

"Digital Dream?" Takumi asked. "You mean that Cyber Space?"

"Unlike most, I have know how to listen to it and hear some of it's secrets. To hear it properly, I must keep to myself. Call me Hermit if you like. It is the path I've chosen. Have you found any Seeds in your travels?"

"You mean these things the robots sometimes drop?" Sonic asked holding up a red and blue object.

"They appear when we complete the puzzles here too." Takumi added.

"Indeed! I will unlock their power and pass it on to you!" All the Seeds Sonic and Takumi collected flew into Hermit. Then blue and red light grew around Sonic increasing his power and defence.

"You feel any stronger Sonic?" Takumi asked.

"Heck yeah!"

"Strong enough to take that Titan?"

"Heck no!"

Takumi chuckled. "Yeah, figured. Oh well. It should help us with the robots at least."

"Bring me more Seeds, and I will give you more power in return." Hermit said. "Seeds of Power will make you strike harder. Seeds of Defence will make you sturdier."

"That's pretty cool. And so you are, Hermit!" Sonic grinned.

"Oh ho, ho! It all comes from listening to the whisper of the Digital Dream. Hmm?" He glanced at Sonic more. "Hmm… You have wells of untapped potential, but I cannot reach them."

"Dang. Know anybody who can?"

"Eh… Unfortunately. Seek out my sibling, the Elder Koco. They can likely unlock your inner strength. Then come back and see me so I can make sure they did it right!"

Takumi blinked. "Is there…an issue between you two?"

"I am tired and return to the dream. Let me rest child." Hermit closed his eyes.

"Huh. Wounder what that's all about. Oh well. We should pick up any more Seeds we find."

Togemon noticed something large and round. "What's that over there? Some kind of ship?"

Sonic jumped off the metal track and went over to it. Takumi and Togamon caught up. He noticed a familiar symbol on the sign shaped like a familiar face. "Eggman tech! Seems abandoned, though. Still, better keep on our toes."

"Eggman?" Takumi asked.

"Oh, right. You wouldn't know him. Kinda envy that. He's a mad scientist bent on taking over the world."

"Is that so?" Takumi looked up at the ship. "I don't see any signs of damage or wear and tare. I don't think this thing's been here very long. Better keep an eye out."

"Ditto. But for now, let's head for that third Emerald!"

Sonic and Takumi aproached a alter with a yellow Chaos Emerald. Sonic held up some keys and the vault unlocked. As he put the emerald away, Amy caught up to them. "Oh, you found it."

"Yup. This makes three." Sonic said. He looked around him. "So, something's been bugging me about these ruins."

"What's up?" Takumi asked.

"The whole reason we came here was because Tails detected the Chaos Emeralds were drawn here, right? And now I'm finding digital keys and confinement towers that seem to be custom-made to hold the emeralds. Like half this stuff was built with them in mind."

"Maybe the Ancients used the Chaos Emeralds in the past for something. You mentioned that even individually they hold a great deal of power."

"Seems likely." Amy replied. "We've learned of other past civilizations who did too."

Sonic turned to her. "Yeah, but those groups tried to use them. The stuff here seems all about containment."

"Probably to keep them from falling into the wrong hands." Takumi suggested. "Or maybe they knew something about them that we don't."

"I'd believe it." Amy nodded. "The Chaos Emeralds are still pretty mysterious even after all we've done with them."

Takumi looked at her. "Wait…where's Nokia?"

"Hmm? Oh, she's looking around back where we split up. It should be fine though; the robots seem to be ignoring us."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful." Takumi said. "Let's go back and check on her."

Nokia was walking across the steel bridge when she saw someone sitting down hanging their legs over it. It was the masked man. "Hey, you!"

He looked up at her. "Oh, hey."

"Don't "hey" me, you attacked Takumi and Sonic with that Titan out of nowhere!"

"A necessary diversion. We had to keep Sonic and that Digimon busy so I can scan Takumi's memories."

Nokia sternly folded her arms. "Oh yeah? And just why did you need to pry your way into the poor guy's head anyway?"

"I had questions that he knew the answers to. That's all." The man stood up. "Tell me something Nokia…Would you like to see Agumon and Gabumon again?"

"Well…yeah."

"Of course, you would." The man walked towards her. "To most, Digimon were just tools and programs. But you and Takumi knew better. You saw them for what they were."

"Digimon are living beings just like us! Hackers have no business treating them like slaves!"

"On that we agree. So let me ask you…if by some chance humans and Digimon interacted again, what would you do?"

"The same thing I've done the last time it happened. Doing my best to take care of Digimon and make sure they're treated fairly."

"And if some Digimon start attacking humans like Leopardmon and his crew?"

"Then we'll stop them. Me and Omnimon and our friends together!"

The man chuckled. "That's the leader of the Rebels for you. Just what I wanted to hear." He turned around to leave.

"Wait! You still didn't answer my question! What was it you needed to confirm from Takumi's memories?!"

"A word of advice." The man glanced at her. "Be careful around Sonic." A blue gate opened in front of him, and he stepped into it before vanishing.

"What is that guy's deal?" Nokia grumbled. She then heard strange sounds and turned around. Another small stone creature with a flower on its head was hobbling around sadly. "Oh my gosh, what's that?! It's so cute!" She hurried over to it. "Hi there! Who are you?" She looked at its face. "Hey, is something wrong? You look kind of sad…"

The creature looked at Nokia. It started making sounds and she listened carefully. In the middle of it Sonic arrived with Takumi, Togemon and Amy. "Yo, Nokia. Who's your friend?"

The creature looked back at Nokia and continued speaking. "Really?" Nokia asked. She then looked at Takumi and the others. "This Koco says they need to find their one true love before it's too late."

"Koco?" Takumi asked. "So that's what these things are called. Wait, what do you mean "too late"?"

"They've been too shy to express their feelings." Nokia explained. "But if they don't do it now, they might never get the chance."

Sonic blinked at her. "You… got all that, huh?"

"I did too." Amy said. "I feel like the dimension we're in is translating for us. It's strange, but feels natural."

"Well, you always had a knack for weird insights. Who am I to argue?"

Amy turned to the Koco. "Well, don't you worry! We'll reunite you with your lost love!"

Nokia gleamed and gestured to Takumi. "Yeah, Takumi's on the job! He's no stranger to finding lost little guys!"

Takumi sighed. "Yeah okay, maybe next time ask before just volunteering me for things."

Sonic folded his arms and squinted. "I would think we've got more pressing issues but… again, who am I to argue?"

"Well, it's not like we aren't searching these lands high and low anyway. We'll keep our eyes peeled."

"That's the spirit!" Nokia said.

"Did you find anything else around here?" Amy asked.

"Not much. Oh, but I did run into that masked creep."

"He didn't attack you, did he?" Takumi asked.

"No. But he did say some weird stuff about needing your memories for answers. It also sounds like he doesn't trust Sonic for some reason."

Takumi looked at Sonic and Amy. "You don't think he's that Eggman guy you mentioned, do you?"

The two hedgehogs blinked then started laughing. "Pfft! Not a chance! That guy's way to skinny to be Eggman." Sonic joked.

"And too quiet." Amy added.

"What's this about eggs?" Nokia asked. "I like eggs!"

"You wouldn't like the kind this guy makes." Amy said.

"Why? What kind are they?"

"The deadly, world-dominating kind."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, I guess we got one more thing to look for, Takumi." Sonic said. "Let's get going."

"Sounds good to me."

"Oh, wait!" Nokia held up a blue orb. "I found this lying near one of those shrines earlier. Is it important?"

"That's one of those orbs that I've been collecting!" Takumi said.

"Really? Well, here ya go!"

"Thanks." It went into Takumi's glove.

"Woah!" Togemon started shaking. "I'm getting that fuzzy feeling again."

"Again? You mean when…?" Takumi opened a menu again. He saw the blue spheres circle the Digivolution button and smiled. "Alright!" He pressed it and held his hand towards Togemon emitting a yellow light.

Togemon started spinning in place as the blue sphere's went into her body. "Togemon Digivolve to…" Gold light flowed out of Togemon's eyes and mouth before she became a giant red blower bud. It bloomed revealing a fairy-like girl who ascended. Yellow flowers opened up on the sides of her green boots. Her pink flower petal dress fluttered. Hands with red fingernails came out of yellow flowers around her wrists. Her leaf-like pixie wings spread, and she brushed her ivy-like long hair before opening her eyes, before she twirled in the air and landed on her feet elegantly. "Lillymon!"

"Whoa, she Digivolved again?" Sonic asked.

"That's right." Takumi smiled. "Now she's an Ultimate Level Digimon."

Lillymon posed. "It's good to be back!"

"Wow!" Amy went around her. "You look so pretty!"

"Isn't she just the cutest little flower girl?" Nokia grinned.

Lillymon giggled with her hands on her cheeks. "Aww~! You two are making me blush!"

"Okay, but this still won't be enough to take on the Titian or the knight, will it?" Sonic asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Lillymon said. "I'm much stronger now, but I still feel like taking that giant on in Ultimate form will just end with me getting thrown into a mountain again. But hey! I can beat enemies down even harder now! And I can fly! Check it!" She demonstrated by hovering off the ground. "So now I can protect Takumi from whatever else comes our way!"

"Alright. Then let's get rolling. We still got a lot to do here."

And we have a new enemy for this story. I'll leave it to you to see if you can deduce who this is before his reveal. And if anyone is curious about the Digivolving orbs I was thinking of Digimon Rumble Arena 2. But next time we're looking at Lillymon's first battle.