Amy, and Knuckles were sitting at a campfire. The Digimon and their partners were with them. And right now, they were all scarfing down meat on bones. "Yuuko, maybe you should slow down…" Nokia chuckled. "Save some for the rest of us…"

Yuuko awkwardly backed away from a pile of bones. "I didn't eat that many…"

"Don't worry, I got plenty of meat." Sonic was sitting in front of a BBQ spite rotating a piece of meat as it cooked.

"How much exactly?" Ryuji asked.

"As much as we need."

"Where did you get that thing anyway?" Takumi asked.

"Big said some weird guy in red, spikey armor gave it to him."

"When?" Arata asked raising an eyebrow.

"On November 18th, 2022."

"…And what day is it right now in this world?" Yuugo asked.

"Better question, where'd all this meat come from?" Matayoshi asked.

"Don't worry about it." Sonic took another piece out. "Done! Perfectly too!"

"Dibs!" Rina grabbed it and took a bite. "So tasty!"

"So, we're just gonna camp out here until Mirei is ready to get everyone home?" Knuckles asked.

"Tails found the Tornado, but he said he needs time to fix it up." Amy replied.

"The space between worlds has been affected by Crusadermon's actions." Alphamon said. "Bringing Sayo and Rina from their parallel worlds didn't help much either. It's too dangerous to open any more rifts between realities until Mirei and Mastemon have stabilized the issue."

Takumi stretched out from the log he was sitting on. "I don't mind. After all that's happened, I could use a break." He smiled sadly. "Besides… I'm going to miss all of you."

Everyone sighed. "Yeah..." Yu muttered.

"I finally got to see Omnimon again..." Nokia sighed. "And now I have to say goodbye again...?"

The knight looked down. "I'm sorry Nokia."

Ryuji looked at Hudiemon. "Erika... is there no way you can come back with us?"

"I'm sorry Ryuji, but I don't have a physical body anymore."

"It's going to feel lonely without you guys." Amy frowned.

Takumi sighed. "...Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

Sonic held a piece of meat in front of Takumi's face and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, don't worry. Didn't you say you were going to find a way to bring humans and Digimon again through EDEN someday? You did mean it, right?"

"Of course I meant it!" Takumi replied. "It's just... going to feel lonely without them..."

"Then instead of fixating on that loneliness think of how happy you'll be when you succeed and see them again. Use that to motivate yourself. And hey, if you can bring your world and the Digital World together again, maybe we'll meet again someday too. We just beat both a giant world destroying moon and an ancient giant old man in a cape. Pretty sure anything's possible at this point."

Takumi smiled and took the meat. "Thanks Sonic."

"An EDEN for humans and Digimon..." Tails smiled as he approached. "I'd like to learn how that goes next time we cross paths."

"Oh, hey Tails." Arata waved. "How goes your biplane?"

"The Tornado got roughened up a bit. But I'll have it fixed up soon. I'm just gonna take a short break."

"Grab a seat." Sonic smiled while putting another piece of meat in the BBQ Spite. "I'll cook you up some lunch."

"Thanks."

Yuugo smiled. "If you guys end up in our neck of the woods next time, we can show you the EDEN we create."

Keisuke smiled. "To think not long ago I thought I was alone in remembering Digimon. Now not only am I surrounded by people who also know... they're planning to bring them back."

Takumi sighed. "Keisuke... keeping it to yourself must have made you suffer so much..."

"It did feel lonely. At times I questioned if I was just crazy... I questioned whether I would see Erika again everyday... when I met Sage, I finally started to believe it could happen."

"How did you get involved with Sage anyway?" Amy asked.

Keisuke looked up. "It started a few weeks back. Saturo Kamishiro hired Hudie to investigate weird activity in Under Kawloon."

"You volunteered to take a look alone." Ryuji said. "We lost contact with you shortly after you entered the area. When you came back, you said it was a minor glitch and you took care of it."

Keisuke looked at the group. "Truth is, when I got there..."

Keisuke walked into the blue area. "Yu, I've reached Under Kawloon. ...Yu? Huh. No signal. That's weird..." Keisuke looked around. "Coming here again... makes me think of Digimon... I wonder what Erika is doing now..." He walked quietly. His thoughts were consumed with the past. But he was returned to reality by a red glow and looked up. A giant red wall with the Eggman symbol stood in front of him. "This must be what Mr. Kamishiri was talking about." He put on his Digivice and pulled up a blue monitor. "Wow. Never seen a system like this before." He started working. "Something like this was clearly made and therefore put here by someone for a reason..." The walk glowed then vanished. "Ha! Piece of cake!" Four more red walls appeared boxing him in. "Gah! Did I set something off?!" He started typing again. In about a minute the walls vanished one by one. "This had to have been placed by someone..." Keisuke looked as he lowered his visor. "Is someone there...? Hello?"

"Impressive."

"GAH!" Keisuke turned around. Sage was floating behind him. "Where did you come from?!"

The girl floated past him. "Not just anyone can hack through one of my creator's security programs."

"Your "creator"? What are you, some kind of EDEN NPC?""No. I am an A.I." Sage turned to him and placed a hand on her chest. "My codename is Sage."

"An A.I.? Were you the one who placed those firewalls?"

"Affirmative. I have heard that Kawloon is a section of EDEN where hackers gather. My hope was that I would find one with skill beyond my own." Sage floated in front of Keisuke. "May I ask who you are?"

"…Keisuke. Keisuke Amasawa."

"Keisuke, your abilities as a hacker exceed my parameters. You may be able to help me."

"Help with what exactly?"

"My story may be beyond what this world considers normal logic. Will you still hear me out even if my claims seem illogical?"

Keisuke blinked. "I guess…? I mean, sure, I'll at least hear you out first."

"Thank you." Sage led Keisuke to a couple of blue cubes. She sat in one and gestured to the other. "Please take a seat." Keisuke awkwardly sat down. "As I explained, I am an A.I. But I was not built in this world."

"This world?"

"I have come from a different dimension. Just like my creator. Doctor Eggman."

"Eggman?" Keisuke raised an eyebrow. "…Really?"

"My creator was trying to investigate a site of ruins made by a race that vanished thousands of years ago, now known as The Ancients. Their home, the Starfall Islands houses mysterious technology. Most notable among them, is Cyber Space."

"I'm sorry, a long-lost ancient race made its own Cyber Space?"

"That is correct. My objective was to access Cyber Space and obtain the Ancient's knowledge… but the moment the Doctor integrated me with Cyber Space, I learned something dreadful."

"What do you mean?"

"Cyber Space houses more than just a wealth of knowledge from the Ancients. It is also a prison for the enemy that eliminated them. A monster from beyond the stars that can effortlessly destroy planets."

Keisuke shuddered. "For real?"

"Yes. The Ancients managed to seal it away within Cyber Space. But now that it's back online, the creature is trying to find a way to escape. After running the simulations, I concluded that the best means of protecting the Doctor was to keep him in Cyber Space."

"Let me get this straight. Your best plan to protect him was to seal him inside Cyber Space with this big scary horror IN THERE WITH HIM?"

"I can keep the Doctor cloaked if he is in Cyber Space. But if the enemy finds a way to escape it could be the end of this world. The Doctor is pressing me for a means to safely escape Cyber Space… but I cannot find a safe scenario while the monster is awakened."

"Does your creator know about this?" Keisuke asked.

"No, I…" Sage hesitated as if thinking about her answer. "…I do not want him to think his curiosity of looking into The Ancients brought forth a catastrophe."

"Oh…"

"In any event, I am trying to find a way to secure the enemy in Cyber Space so it cannot escape. I also want to access all of the Ancients' weapons so I can fight it if it does escape. But their technology is heavily guarded. But using my creator's notes, did manage to find something."

"And that is?"

"My creator once discovered that there are alternate dimensions. With this in mind I thought that maybe somewhere out there, I could find an ally. So, I used Cyber Space to peer into networks from other worlds. That is how I discovered EDEN and this world."

"And now here we are." Keisuke said.

"Yes. I understand if my story cannot be believed. I can show you my creators research and various data from my world if that will suffice as evidence."

Keisuke stared at the girl. "…No. I don't need to see anything. I believe you."

"Just like that?"

Keisuke scratched his cheek. "Well... the existence of other worlds isn't exactly news to me."

"Elaborate."

"Well... it's a complicated story. Kinda hard to explain. I don't really have proof either..."

"Very well." Sage got up and floated over to Keisuke.

"Um... what are you doing?"

Sage put a red hand on Keisuke's forehead. "Commencing scan." Keisuke froze as memories forcefully flew through his head. His mind went through all the steps in his journey with Digimon. When it was over, Sage pulled her hand away. "Analysis complete. Fascinating."

Keisuke stared at her in shock. "Did... did you just...?"

"I have confirmed your story regarding "Digimon" and the "Digital World". I see now why you are willing to believe my story." She put a hand on her chin. "Keisuke, I have a proposal. I would like you to come back to my world with me and help me protect Doctor Eggman while I search for a way to keep the enemy dormant. ...And in return, I will speak to the Doctor about finding a way to connect your world with the Digital World."

Keisuke gasped. "What?"

"From what I saw, you long to see Digimon again. Particularly Erika Mishima who became Hudiemon and left for the Digital World. My creator is a brilliant scientist and the sharpest mind in my world. Additionally, as I stated previously, he is no stranger to dimensional travel."

Keisuke shot up from his seat. "Can he really do that?!"

"If anyone can, it's Doctor Eggman."

Keisuke held Sages hands smiling in glee. "That's amazing!"

"Then do we have a deal?"

"Yes! I'll do whatever it takes to help the Doctor!"

"Good. I will speak to him about our arrangement. Please return here tomorrow. I advise you to make any preparations now. It will be some time before you return."

"Right! Thank you, Sage!" Keisuke ran off. "Now I just need to figure out what to tell the others..."

Sage watched Keisuke leave. "His drive to see Digimon is stronger than I calculated..." She opened a red doorway and vanished.

"The next day we meet up as planned and she brought my EDEN Avatar and my Mental Data over to Cyber Space in this world where I met Eggman…He showed me the things he could do to reinforce my faith that he could find a way to the Digital World… so I started working with Sage and then… you know the rest."

"Meanwhile in our world your physical body didn't wake up." Ryuji asked. "You pretty much got EDEN Syndrome."

"You had us all really worried you know." Yu said.

"I'm sorry…" Keisuke said.

Chitose sighed. "Don't be. If anything, I feel like we should be apologizing, you're the one who was suffering in silence all this time. If we remembered what happened in the past, we could have consoled you…"

"It's not like you chose to forget." Keisuke said. "Until I met Takumi here, I thought I was the only one who remembered. I thought it was up to me to bring humans and Digimon together again." He looked down. "…I didn't even consider that I was being deceived."

"Well, you weren't the only one Sage deceived." Tails said. "It sounds like she never told Eggman about The End. My guess is she was afraid he'd try to harness its power. That was unlikely to end well for him."

"No kidding." Sonic scoffed.

TyrantKabuterimon looked at Keisuke. "Do you regret making that deal with Sage?"

"Of course not. If I didn't, I wouldn't have found you guys and Erika in this world. And… I get why she did it. Sage just wanted to help her father. She'd do anything for his safety."

Hudiemon stood up. "We can call Eggman evil or anything else. But that doesn't change that he's the only family Sage has. Sometimes you need to make dark choices to help the ones you love. We cannot choose who we love or who our family is. But we can choose to protect them."

Keisuke smiled. "Thanks Erika. I couldn't have said it better myself. Regardless of what Sage did before or who created her, it didn't change the fact that she had a heart. Even if she was an A.I. And she was willing to sacrifice herself. And doing so, she saved us. And this world. …And I'm glad I met her."

"We all are." Takumi replied before holding up his meat. "To Sage!"

"To Sage!" Everyone said.

Alphamon looked down. "In the end… if she did make mistakes… or acted on selfish reason… that's all the more proof she has a heart like us. Nobody goes through their life without making mistakes."

Date looked at her. "You talking from experience fishy lady?"

"Date…" Matayoshi groaned.

"Sorry. Fishy KNIGHT."

"DATE."

Alphamon looked up. "…There is something I have kept to myself for many, many years… but I think you all have the right to know."

"Is this about Bagramon?" Chaosdramon asked. "Takumi said he saw something while he had his data."

"Yes. And if he knows the rest of you might as well know too. And perhaps there is more to the story I can share with him as well." Alphamon took a deep breath. "The Digital World all of you know of… is actually not the first Digital World."

Everyone looked at her. "Not the first"?" Arata asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Many, many years before any of you existed, there was another Digital World before the one you know. The old Digital World."

"The legends are true?" Omnimon Alter-S asked.

"The old Digital World… that was my home." Alphamon said. "At the time I was known as Grademon. I never had any friends or family to speak of. I was a wandering swordsman, testing my skill against any opponent I would come across. Then one day during my travels, I met someone who's ability with a sword far surpassed my own."

"Was it one of the Royal Knights?" Yuuko asked.

"No knight. No holy guardian. Just another wandering swordsman by the name of Tactimon. He led a small band of mercenaries that traveled the world fighting bandits, protecting villages… a variety of odd jobs. After he utterly destroyed me in one-on-one combat, he asked me why I was so eager to become stronger… I… wasn't sure how to reply. Truth be told, I never really thought about it. I just wanted to see how strong I could become I suppose. Then he asked me something that changed my view forever…"

"What if you used your strength and skill to make an impact on this world?"

"What do you mean?"

"Strength can be used for a number of things. I have chosen to use my blade to make a difference in this world. You can do the same."

"And that is how I found myself working with his mercenary band."

"What was that like?" Amy asked.

"I felt like the black sheep at first… but they quickly accepted me as one of their own. In time I would consider them family. And Tactimon… he would continue to train me. In swordsmanship, in tactics, and in many other things. He became the first Digimon I truly respected. He… was my role model. And I swore someday, I would surpass him… but then it happened."

Takumi frowned. "Project Ark."

"So, you found out about that through Bagramon."

"Project Ark?" Fei asked. "What's that?"

"Our old Digital World was facing a crisis. It had become overpopulated. Our resources were running short. The future uncertain." Alphamon explained. "To solve this, King Drasil formed a plan. He created a new Digital World and selected 2% of the Digimon to bring to it."

"Just 2%?" Sonic asked. "Wouldn't it have made more sense to split them half and half between two worlds?"

"King Drasil did not see the point of two Digital Worlds. So… he unleashed the X Program on the old Digital World and the remaining 98%."

"What's an X Program?" Nokia asked.

"A program created to delete every single Digimon in the old Digital World."

Everyone gasped. "What?!" Hudiemon shouted. "That's horrible!"

"Indeed." Alphamon closed her eyes. "Even now I can hear the screams. The crying. Pleads for mercy that fell on deaf ears. I'll never forget the sight of my comrades… my family dissolving into nothingness. Nor will I forget holding my master's hand before he faded…"

"Kyoko…" Takumi murmured. "…I'm so sorry…"

"That's so sad…" Tails said. "…But how did you survive that?"

"Not all Digimon were destroyed by the X Program. Some of us had special characteristics in our Digicores that made us immune to the effects. This would later be called the X-Antibody."

"Huh." TigerVespamon said. "I always wondered how it got the name."

Fei looked at her Digimon. "You know what she's talking about?"

"Indeed. I have an X-Antibody myself. As does Gaiomon."

"Some of us are natural carriers of it." Yuuko's Digimon replied. "But I hear that some species of Digimon who don't normally possess one go through unique transformations when their bodies develop it."

"Indeed." Alphamon looked at Takumi's three Digimon. "Like these three did. I myself am a natural carrier. That's how I along with a few others survived and fled to the new Digital World. But our struggles did not end there. King Drasil deemed us "forging molecules" and had us hunted down by the first generation of Royal Knights. They destroyed X-Antibody Digimon without mercy…"

"How awful…" Yuugo murmured.

Alphamon clenched her fists. "Having lost my home, my comrades, my master, my dream, being hunted like a fugitive… my rage and hatred for King Drasil consumed me… I swore vengeance. But I knew defeating King Drasil and the Royal Knights on my own would be impossible. So, I started looking for a way… then I heard about Bagramon."

"Just who is Bagramon anyway?" Rosemon Burst Mode X asked.

"Before the X Program he was a devoted follower of King Drasil. Some say he was even more loyal than the Royal Knights. But when King Drasil launched the X Program, he lost all faith in our king and attacked him. He was stopped by the Knights and was made to atone by being imprisoned and tortured until he changed his ways. Upon learning this I thought he would be an ideal ally for me. So, I… snuck in and released him."

"You let him out?" Craniamon X asked. "Even though you knew he was dangerous?"

"I want to say I didn't know how dangerous he was at the time… but the truth is… I just didn't care. I just wanted King Drasil to pay for his crimes. At the time Bagramon had lost an eye, an arm, and a leg. I tore off pieces of King Drasil's body, which he used to recreate those severed pieces, giving him immense power. But he knew it would not be enough to defeat King Drasil and the knights. So, we started gathering allies."

"Other survivors with the X-Antibody?" Ryuji asked.

"Not just that. But we spread the word about the X Program and what King Drasil did. Many sympathizers joined our cause. I thought with our numbers we could overwhelm our enemies with a rebellion…" Alphamon solemnly looked down. "But Bagramon had other ideas. He absorbed the souls of all the Digimon we gathered to power himself further."

"What?!" Justimon shot up.

"I'll never forget the smile on his face. Or the agony on those Digimon as they perished. I… underestimated what all that time in torment had done to Bagramon… He told me that as King Drasil's "chosen" all the Digimon in the new Digital World were as guilty as he was. And that he planned on destroying the word and replacing it."

"Not what you had in mind when you let him out of his cage, huh?" Matayoshi asked.

"I wanted to make King Drasil pay for the X Program. Not recreate the incident in the new world. I tried to stop him… but he easily overpowered me. I would have lost my life then and there if Imperialdramon didn't show up to chase him off."

"He saved you?" Date asked. "Even though you were enemies?"

"Indeed. When I asked why, he told me that King Drasil rescinded his orders to destroy the carriers of the X-Antibody."

"He had a change of heart?" Rapidmon Armor X asked.

"Seems so. In any case, Bagramon decided to hide himself inside the Dark Area, home of the Seven Deadly Digimon. He knew the Knights would not chase him there."

"What, were they scared of the place?" Rina asked.

"The Royal Knights were forbidden to entering the Seven Deadly Digimon's domain." Alphamon explained. "We are not allowed to do battle with them."

"Because destroying them powers up all variants of them in other worlds." Sayo exclaimed.

Alphamon nodded. "From there he bid his time and gathered power waiting for his moment to strike. I… had lost all hope. I felt like the world was doomed. But Imperialdramon told me… that I could either wait for the end wallowing in regret over my mistakes, or I can make an effort to correct them. And so, I agreed to undergo training with the Royal Knights."

"The first generation of them." Sonic pointed out.

Alphamon turned to Takumi. "If you thought I was hard on you at times you should have seen these guys. There were points where I truly thought they were trying to kill me."

"Yikes."

"But I kept pushing myself. I pulled through. And then I was brought face to face with King Drasil."

"I can only imagine what it was you felt." Knuckles said.

Alphamon sighed. "I felt a lot in that moment. Fear. Anger. Accomplishment. Joy. Sadness. But above all I knew what I had to do. I became guilty of bringing death and horror to innocents. Just like King Drasil did. And I swore to do not what I wanted. But what I felt was right. With that I was granted this power. And with it I was dubbed the 13th Royal Knight. Alphamon."

"King Drasil's most trusted and powerful Knight." Omnimon Alter-S said.

"Ironic, isn't it? I went from being his greatest enemy to his closest ally. It was not long after when Bagramon reappeared. Together us Knights banded against him. But the power he obtained made him indestructible. We were left with one option. Imperialdramon and I severed him in three pieces. Then before he could regenerate, Imperialdramon and the Gallantmon and Omnimon of the time absorbed those pieces into his body. It was our victory… but one we paid a price for. They knew Bagramon's data would drive them mad someday… so King Drasil found a faraway world with a network that was shut down for centuries."

"Cyber Space." Tails said.

"Yes. You know what happened from that point. Imperialdramon left me in command of the Royal Knights. And with the sacred duty of supporting King Drasil."

"Does that mean you've forgiven him?" Yuugo asked.

Alphamon thought for a moment. "…Not completely. Part of me will always hold the X Program against him. But I learned something from what happened. If you dedicate yourself to vengeance, you'll end up hurting others. Maybe those you care about. If you let that desire consume you, you'll turn yourself into something worse than who you wish for vengeance on. Yuuko, you experienced this yourself. When you defeated Crusadermon, how did you feel?"

Yuuko sighed. "…Not as happy as I thought I would. I wanted to make her pay for what she did to father… but I did things I'm not proud of along the way. I mistreated my friends. I even got them hurt in my quest for vengeance. And when I finally got it… I felt empty. Maybe some small part of me was expecting father to come back when I destroyed Crusadermon. But in the end… I gained nothing from it."

"Thank you for saying so. That confirms what I believed all this time. Getting revenge on King Drasil would have only done me more harm than good."

"Is that why you didn't try to stop me or warn me against lashing out on Crusadermon?"

"Would you have listened if I did?" Alphamon asked. "From what Takumi told me about how you acted, that seemed unlikely." Yuuko sadly looked aside. "Back then I was warned against vengeance. Told it would bring more harm than good. But I refused to listen until I was met with the consequences of my actions. I felt the only way you would truly understand is if you went through the same thing I did. But looking back… that was reckless of me to think. Things could have gotten a whole lot worse. We were lucky we were able to save Takumi…"

"But you did save me." Takumi said. "You even stood up against a fellow Knight and blew your cover for me."

Alphamon turned to him. "Takumi… when Crusadermon pointed out what you did eight years ago to me and questioned why I would protect you, do you remember what I said to her?"

"You said it was true that humans made foolish mistakes, but that the same could be said for Digimon… back then… were you referring to…" Takumi hesitated.

"Myself?" Alphamon giggled at Takumi's uncomfortable expression. "I'll level with you kids. If what happened eight years ago took place in the old Digital World, as Grademon, I would have joined Leopardmon and Crusadermon in destroying mankind without hesitation. But now… things are different. I myself brought calamity upon the Digital World through my mistakes. In what position am I to judge you for yours?"

"Kyoko… I told you before. That's not who you are anymore. You don't need to prove yourself."

Alphamon walked over to Takumi and gently patted him on the head. "Sais the boy who has been beating himself up for similar actions all this time. You really are a strange one Takumi… but I like that about you. Before Imperialdramon left our world he told me that one day I may find someone to pass his and Tactimon's beliefs onto… someone to carry what they taught me… When you agreed to work with me that day… I felt that time had finally come."

Matayoshi grinned. "Heh. Your old man said something similar to me once. He told me he knew one day you'd inherit the agency. He said that when you do, he hoped you would use what he taught you to uphold what he founded the agency for. And that someday you'd find a pupil to raise like he did you to carry that torch someday."

"Yes, he told me as much too." Alphamon nodded. "That's why I was eager to push Takumi. …Perhaps a bit too eager."

"Kyoko…" Takumi looked at her sadly.

"Takumi… stopping my subordinates is one thing, but defeating Bagramon is one task that I should not have allowed to be forced onto you. That burden was mine to carry. And I'm sorry for making you suffer as much as you did through this to clean up my mess. But at the same time… I'm proud of you. You did what me and my master could not."

"It wasn't just me." Takumi said. "Like I said, everyone contributed in one way or another. You did stop Bagramon yourself Kyoko. Like you said, I carry everything you taught me. And I used that to defeat him. Me, Sonic, Sage and my family. And besides, nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. That's why we need to work together when such things occur."

"Well said, detective." Mirei said as she approached with Mastemon.

Everyone stood up and turned to her. Yuuko whispered to Amy. "I have a favor to ask."

"Huh?"

Nobody else noticed. "What's the situation?" Alphamon asked.

"The walls between dimensions are starting to mend." Mirei said. "By tomorrow morning it should be safe for us to send everyone back where they belong."

"Nice. I'll have the Tornado fixed up by then." Tails said.

"Then I guess we're staying here overnight huh?" Chitose asked. "Well, it gives us time to hang out."

Mirei looked at Alphamon. "As for you Alphamon… when that time comes… you must make a choice."

Everyone looked at her. "Kyoko?" Arata asked. "What do you mean."

Alphamon folded her arms. "I had a feeling it would come to this. Unlike the last time I merged with Kyoko Kuremi, I'm not replacing her missing mental data. I directly merged with it. Separating now would be impossible."

"You and Kyoko will be one person forever?" Hudiemon asked. "I guess that makes you like me."

"Without my ability to see the future I cannot say how long it will be before the worlds interact again. So, you must consider what you will do. It would be possible for you to return to your human form if you went back to the human world and lived as Kyoko Kuremi. Or you can return to the Digital World and continue your duty as Alphamon." Mirei explained.

Dead silence hung over the group. "You mean… Kyoko will have to chose between staying with us and going with the Digimon?!" Takumi asked.

Everyone looked at her. "Kyoko… what will you do?" Amy asked.

Alphamon closed her eyes and thought to herself before turning back to Mirei. "I'll give you my answer when it's time to depart."

"Very well." Mirei nodded.

Yuuko turned to Mirei. "In the meantime, Mirei, I'd like to speak with you about something. Let's have a walk."

"As you wish."

As the woman walked off with their Digimon everyone stared at Kyoko. "Kyoko…" Takumi murmured.

"Let's not dwell on this." Alpamon replied. "I have a whole day to come to a decision, why spend your last day with your Digimon worrying?"

Rina snuck up behind Takumi and grabbed him in a headlock. "What she said! VeeVee and I'll have to go home after this so don't spend what time we have left together moping! Now come on! I wanna see how tough this Digimon of your got! Let's battle!"

"Hey, we can have another play like at the Digimon Festival!" Nokia grinned. "Just don't try to run off on us this time!"

Fei smirked at Keisuke. "You know, you've gotten a lot stronger yourself. But how strong I wonder? Let's find out."

As the group started to get rowdy Mirei and Yuuko continued to walk. "Was there something you wished to discuss?" Mirei asked.

"It seems you have been observing many human and Digital Worlds considering your relationship with Rina and Sayo. Not just ours."

"Indeed. I've been overseeing the connections between humans and Digimon through many realities."

"Then tell me something… have there been times where humans and Digimon connected peacefully?"

"Of course. I've seen it happen in many worlds. In one there is a group of kids who live in a city helping it grow with Digimon. In Sayo's humans work with Digimon to protect the Digital World under a Union. In one I recently observed the human and Digital Worlds merged and now every human has a Digimon partner."

Yuuko smiled. "I see. I imagine there were difficulties at times between the two?"

"Indeed. As I'm sure you know, people are quick to fear what they don't understand. That is why many reject change."

"But change is inevitable. No matter what world you're in. All we can do is adapt."

"I couldn't agree more."

"So… in the end it is a fact that humans and Digimon can get along, yes?"

"It is a possibility. Now that I no longer can see the future nothing seems certain to me anymore." Mirei stopped and looked at Yuuko. "May I ask what brought up these questions?"

Yuuko looked up. "Takumi, Nokia, Arata, my brother and I all agreed we want to make EDEN a bridge connecting humans and Digimon… but with all that's happened I wonder… can we go beyond that?"

"How so?" Mastemon asked.

"What if we could make it so some day humans can explore the Digtial World? And Digimon can walk in the human world?"

Gaiomon Fierce Blade Mode looked at her. "Lady Yuuko?"

"I still remember how much we enjoyed the Digital World as kids. And I remember how much we enjoyed having Digimon with us in the human world despite the chaos. I... I want everyone to experience that. Those moments made us grow into who we are. Mirei, do you think it's possible?"

Mirei smiled. "An interesting thought. I suppose it is possible… Humans have set foot in the home of the Digimon before and vice versa. But in the end, that's up to you. You and your friends have the power to control the wheel of fate. So, take it and steer your worlds to the future you desire."

Yuuko smiled. "You're right. If I dedicate myself and stay alongside those close to me, I can accomplish anything. Takumi and the others taught me that. And I'll never forget that virtue. Thank you Mirei."

"Glad to be of assistance."

"That's all I wanted to talk about. Oh! But before I go…"

"Yes?" Mirei asked. Yuuko took something out of her pocket. It grew in size.

Back at the campsite, VeeVee, Dianamon, and Omegamon Alter-S were panting on the ground. "Man, you've gotten tough Takumi." Rina said. "I'll have to pick up the pace."

Justimon, Vikemon, and TiggeVespamon were on the ground in front of Keisuke's three Digimon. "Dang kid." Fei sighed. "I hate to admit it but you're out of my league now."

"It's thanks to all of you guys I've come this far." Keisuke smiled.

"Same here." Takumi added. "I wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for all of you."

Sonic was leaning back. "It's true Takumi and Keisuke have come a long way on their journeys with their Digimon. But that does make you wonder…"

Tails looked at him. "What's the matter Sonic?"

Sonic grinned. "Which one's stronger?" Everyone looked at Keisuke and Takumi who stared at each other.

"Ooooooh, that's a good question!" Nokia grinned.

Chitsoe smirked. "Only one way to fine out."

Takumi and Keisuke smiled at each other as their Digimon stood by ready to battle. But the tension was dropped by the sound of a heavy slam. "GAH! What the heck was that?!" Date yelled.

Amy blinked as she remembered a favor Yuuko asked. "…Oh, boy… Probably should have seen that coming."

Yuuko smiled holding Amy's Piko Piko Hammer. Mirei was smashed into the ground. "THAT was for all the atrocious coffee we are forced to ingest to this day because of you. Good day Mirei." Yuuko walked away satisfied with Gaiomon.

Mastemon grimaced. "Yuuko's stronger than she looks. Didn't think she could swing something that heavy so hard."

"I don't suppose you could have done something to prevent that "partner"?" Mirei asked, muffled by the ground in her face.

"And pick a fight with Yuuko the blackhearted and her above Mega Level Yojimbo over there? No thanks, I'm good." Mastemon replied before smiling smugly at Mirei. "Besides, weren't you the one who said she can no longer act like she's above responsibility for her actions?"

Mirei groaned. "The things I do for science."

Yeah, I know, the Monster Hunter stuff is the weirdest stuff to pay homage to, but I couldn't help myself. Almost done folks. Next week will be the final update, and Final Horizon should be out by then. So hopefully next week I can announce my plan on what to do with this story in relation to that.