I want to be in another place.
I hate when you say you don’t understand.
You’ll se it’s not meant to be.
I want to be in the energy, not wit the enemy.

Linkin Park – A Place For My Head



XXX’s POV

There he was, the rightful heir to the Digiworld. He was so beautiful, just lying awake, wondering about certain things. He was the true child of the darkness; a pure heart that could easily be manipulated into evil with a strong will. Perfectly educated in the way of goodness. When he would cross over, his evil will surely rule. We will win the timeless war once and for all.

But I did have to give Ken a bit of credit. He had exceptional taste. I had to splash cold water on my face every time I gazed into his gorgeous eyes. Those masterful mahogany eyes that held the very essence of his life. Only evil could have sculpted something so beautiful, so tempting. I could also see why the Child of Light loved him so deeply.

I trembled with pure pleasure as I waited patiently for the process to end. My very core rocked and rattled as I studied his face. His perfect lips, seductive and full; the greatest enticement of them all. The tips of my fingers quivered as I gently placed my palm down on the picture of him that I was watching.

"You will be the greatest leader this world has ever seen. I will make sure of that. You were robbed of living your true life; the life that he accidentally took. But fear not Daisuke. I will correct it for you. I swear I’ll set the record straight once and for all. I owe you that much for all you did for me. Even if you don’t have any recollection of it, it’s still burned deep into my memory." I whispered, placing a kiss over his body.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, replaying every single moment of that day when I met him the first time. Our hearts beating rapidly in our chest to the point of combustion. He was so faultless, angelic and immaculate. He was mine, even if it was only for a short time. One night of pure passion and love.

I would do anything to have that back. Absolutely anything. And I have. The countless Digimon I destroyed or created, the lives I’ve corrupted and left in ruins. All of it was for him. He needed the energy that only I could give him. Hell, most of that energy went into his reconstruction.

Truth be told, I didn’t think it was possible to rebuild him. The procedure was long and complicated. I had to start right in the very center of him, injecting his bone marrow with the necessary DNA. It was so painful for him, and his pain hurt me.

"Master." One of my minions called out, rushing into the room quickly. His scaly skin soaked with persperation and slime. "We have confirmed data that the Dendrite Moon is upon us in a day. The prophecy as you requested." He stated sharply, handing me a rolled up piece of parchment, yellowed with age.

"Very good. Thank you for your assistance."

"No need for thanks Mistress." He bowed, slinking away. As soon as he was gone, I ripped open the paper, reading the words aloud. Each sounding like the sweet melody of a musical instrument.

"The sky will be darkened by the wings of many bats. The fallen people will invoke the name of the undead Digimon king. And when the clock strikes the hour of the beast, the undead king will reveal himself in his true form as the beast. Then, angels will shoot arrows of hope and light at the loved ones they have been sent to protect. And then a miracle will happen." I recited, laughing jovially.

How wrong they had been. They had everything screwed up. It was really all their fault. If they only had the part that I possessed. Then maybe they would have understood. I pulled out the remainder of the scroll, putting it together like a jigsaw puzzle. Now the entire prophecy was completed.

I read it several times, finally completed. The future, or one of them anyway, was in my hands. I finally knew what the fatal mistakes were, and where they were made. The hour of the beast. The beast king; no, not Myotismon. Not that reckless creature. It was someone so close to home. Their home. Who would ever believe the sweet naiuml;ve child with the bright gleaming eyes could really be the enemy they have searched so long for?

Their other flaw. Assumption. They all assumed that the evil that would destroy their world was Myotismon. That the destruction of Japan would be in the evil Digimon that had been plaguing them for several weeks. I still think they just ignored the fact that evil didn’t have to be big and bad. Petrifying and shocking. Evil took on many forms, some as innocent looking as flowers in a garden. I smirked to myself. Innocence. Who could honestly call themselves that anymore? Nobody.

But my plan was flawless. I had the advantage over the Digidestined, because I knew a vital piece of information they didn’t. Not even that old fool Gennai knew about this. And even if he did, he would be helpless to stop it. I had to re-read it again. I savored every word. It was simply too delicious.

Every one of my dreams were written in an ancient language, right on the paper. Things were supposed to happen this way, can’t change the inevitable. Daisuke, my Daisuke, you will be back where you belong. Finally.

Still, how could the elders have made such a grave error? It just didn’t make sense. That was the only missing piece of this giant puzzle that I call life. It was either that, or they did know, and refused to do anything about it. But that didn’t make sense! Why would they risk the lives of their chosen children?

But that wasn’t a concern of mine. Now, the only thing I could do was sit back and enjoy the show that was to come. There would be a wonderful display of fireworks that nobody will be able to contain, and when they go off, I want to be in the front row, marveling in the destruction it will cause.

I softly placed ancient manuscript down on the desk in front of me, and left the room. Today was a new day. And with the Dendrite Moon slowly dawning on us, I had a lot to prepare. The Digimon King would slowly be arriving here, and everything need to be perfect.

Before I left, I sighed deeply, grasping onto the doorframe tightly. My breaths were unsteady and nervous, totally the opposite of my normal facade. But there was this newfound knowledge in the air, that only I knew about. Well, that girl and myself. The girl that throws herself at something that doesn’t belong to her.

In the end, she would end up paying the ultimate price. I would make sure of that. But it was too appetizing. Her emotional pain would drown out every other emotion she could possibly feel. Torturing her would be useless in a time like the one we were approaching.

I licked my lips, smirking to myself as I placed my human outfit on. I simply hated the skin I had chosen, but it was the best one out of the lot. There was no way I would let myself come into contact with something that didn’t equal up to me in some meager way. And that’s the way I felt about Daisuke. I was the only one for him and he was the only one for me. And if he wasn’t mine, then he would be nobody’s.



Ken’s POV



Three days. It had been three agonizingly long days since Dai had fallen ill and ended up in that purified prison. I knew what was happening to him, but I was helpless to stop it. Only Kari could; she was the one calling all the shots. But for some reason she wasn’t doing anything. Nothing at all. And that got me mad.

I slowly made my way back to my house for some well-needed rest. I had spent day in and day out at the hospital with him, just keeping him company when no one was there. Even when there were people there I would stay.

But it was like torture. My heart getting ripped to shreds every time I saw Kari and Daisuke. They looks so happy and utterly in love. The feelings they shared for each other were something I would sell my soul for. But I knew that deep down in my heart, Daisuke was really mine. Even though I would never be able to hold him in my arms, or stroke his tangled chocolate hair, he belonged to me. Mine!

That got to me the most. I had something in my possession so beautiful and wonderful, but I couldn’t get to it. There were so many barriers that Kari put up around him too block me out. And sad to say, they worked. Dai only saw me as this guy friend. Nothing else. If he only knew…

"Oh Dai." I sighed, falling gracefully on my bed. "I would do anything for you to just know how I feel." I could pray and I could beg, but I knew that the only person I’d be begging to would be Kari.

Hell, I should hate her very existence for what she’s doing to me. But I can’t. I can’t hate her, because I sympathize with her. She loves something so much and she knows she can’t keep it. I know I’d do anything to keep him with me, no matter how many people I hurt.

My telephone started to ring. I lazily shot out my hand, grabbing the olive green receiver from the desk I was so close to. "Hello." I groaned, still sleepy.

"Ken!" Mimi’s chipper voice exploded seriously. "Listen, I just got a phone call from Izzy saying that all the Digidestined need to get over to Tai’s house immediately!"

"I’ll be right over!" I shouted, suddenly more awake now than I had ever been in my entire life. I just zoomed out of my house, running faster than ever. I resembled something of a blur as I raced by people who barely noticed my presence. I just knew it had something to do with Dai. God I worried about him so much.

"Ken!" Tk screamed, running behind me with a very tired looking Miyako following in close pursuit. I stopped instantly, letting the guardian of Hope catch up to me.

"What’s going on?" I demanded to know in a very imperial tone. The blond was panting as he stopped, taking in huge gasps of air to fill his burning lungs.

"I have no idea, but when Matt called me, he sounded petrified! I didn’t even bother asking what was going on!" he replied.

"Well come on! We’re not going to learn anything by just standing around here!" Miyako stated, finally stopping. But she instantly grabbed Tk’s hand and raced up the stairs that lead to the Kamiya home.

We didn’t even have to knock because Tai was waiting for us. His face masked with grief and fear. An expression that the former leader never wore. In fact, it scared me slightly that someone as strong as himself would let fear get to him.

"Guys we have to talk." He stated bluntly, pulling us in and slamming the door. He led us over to his room where the rest of the group was gathered, all sitting in a circle.

"Where’s Daisuke?" Tk asked, scanning the faces quickly. Everyone winced slightly at the name. "What?" the boy asked again, slightly puzzled.

"What is it?" Miyako stuttered slightly, instantly dropping to the floor in the gap that was between Sora and Mimi.

"Guys listen." Izzy slowly explained as he shut Tai’s door.

The redhead inhaled sharply before he sat down in the swivel chair that belonged with the computer. "This is really complicated, so please try to follow." At once, Gennai appeared, looking at each of the Digidestined before sighing deeply.

"Hello Digidestined." He greeted, his voice remaining stern. "I called all of you here today because I have some information that is extremely important for you to know. I started to explain it to the original’s, but you should hear this to."

"What is it?" Iori asked slowly.

"As you know, there was this whole 8^th child search. Basically, Myotismon thought that if he found this child and destroyed him or her, he would be able to control both worlds. And he was right to assume that. Because if he did kill the 8^th child, then the main prophecy of the future, wouldn’t come true. It’s what we call a Mirrored Fate. If something happens to you in one, the exact opposite happens in the other."

"Yeah so?" Tk stated bluntly as he lazily pushed his straw blond hair under his pure white hat.

"Well as you know, you found Kari, and with her and Gatomon’s help, you ended up defeating Myotismon, and you saved the world. You took Kari on as the 8^th child, and you went on to defeat every other villain in the Digiworld, including the Dark Masters and Apoclamon."

"But we were wrong." Kari spoke up, for the first time. Her voice was low and hurt, and she looked as if she had just been stripped of her soul. "I wasn’t the 8^th child, Ken was."

"What!?" everyone gasped, looking directly at me slack jawed and amazed. All their eyes skimming back and forth between Kari and myself in a state of disbelief.

"She’s right. You see, at the time when you were first transported to the Digiworld, Ken was with you, just in a different location. When I said you needed to find the missing Chosen Child, I assumed you would have figured out I meant in the Digiworld."

"Wait a minute here!" Matt jumped in. "Are you telling us that Kari isn’t a Digidestined?"

"No, she is." Gennai responded. "But you have to understand this, because if you don’t nothing will make sense to you. Before you were chosen to be the Digidestined, you were given a specific order that would shape your destiny. If this connection, let’s say, were to be changed, then destiny would be changed. And it was."

"By us." I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. "I was supposed to be the 8^th child, thus in 8^th position. Kari was supposed to follow me in 9^th, then Daisuke in 10^th. But since Kari was discovered first, she was assumed into 8^th place. So everything was pushed back one notch. Kari went to 8, Dai to 9 and myself to 10. Kari and I switched basically, but Daisuke is supposed to succeed her always, making him 9^th, not 10^th, which he should have been."

"I’m officially lost." Mimi complained slightly, as Tai placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You all have an order." Gennai repeated. "Tai, you’re 1^st, Matt 2^nd, Sora 3^rd, Izzy 4^th, Mimi 5^th, Joe 6^th, Tk 7^th, Ken 8^th, Kari 9^th, Daisuke 10^th, Miyako 11^th and Iori 12^th." He inhaled before continuing. "That order was NEVER supposed to change, because if it did, then the future would have been rewritten, making it the other Mirrored Fate."

"I see." Izzy gulped. "In lamest terms, if we were to ever get out of our position, things that were supposed to happen, wouldn’t. And since the order was changed, the future did switch."

"Exactly!" Gennai congratulated. "Sadly, things get worse though. You see, what was supposed to happen, should be the future now. You see, in the order, which is called the Link, the child in the 10^th position would be destined for evil. You know it better as the Digimon Emperor. Since Ken was shoved in 10^th, he became evil. But not fully evil because he wasn’t supposed to be the Emperor."

"Oh my God…" Sora trailed off. "But then that means…"

"Yes, Daisuke was supposed to be evil. So after Ken and Kari switched, Ken and Daisuke switched. But you see, Daisuke is pure evil. Even right now, in this time. Not only is he the true Digimon Emperor, he is the Digimon King."

"That’s impossible!" Tk blurted out, his fists balled slightly. "This is all a lie! Don’t you remember the prophecy with Myotismon!? Kari and myself fulfilled it by shooting Tai and Matt! They destroyed Myotismon with her help! She is the 8^th child! She has to be!"

"No Tk. It’s all true." Kari muttered. "I changed destiny by killing Myotismon. Myotismon would have died anyway, but with Ken’s help. They would have defeated the Dark Masters without me…"

"Now Digidestined, this is vital! There is a great evil out there trying to fix this little rift. And sadly, she knows about the mistake in the destiny, and she knows how to change it back. She needs Daisuke though. So at all costs, you must keep him away from the Digiworld, and you have to keep an eye on him! If she gets a hold of him, we’re all domed."

"How did this all happen?" Joe wondered aloud, rubbing his eyes furiously. "I mean, how the hell did all this get so messed up?"

"The prophecy." Gennai groaned. "What I read to you, was only part of the whole thing, just the council didn’t know that there was the bottom half missing. If we had discovered the ending, all this mess could have been avoided, and the right Mirrored Fate would be happening."

Kari and myself instantly looked over at each other. Gennai was lying! He knew about the missing piece, hell, he even had it! He wasn’t telling the group the truth! But he told Kari and me… we knew what was really happening. Or what was really supposed to happen…

"That still doesn’t explain anything." Tai spoke up after absorbing everything that was just said. "From what you’re telling us, what was read the day we defeated Myotismon, was only half the scroll. So that means there was more to it. It said that the sky would be filled with bats and that the fallen people will speak the name of the undead Digimon king. And they were calling out for Myotismon."

"True, the sky was filled with bats. True, the people were calling out for Myotismon. But they weren’t the fallen people. They were slaves put under his hypnotic spell." Gennai countered, trying to keep himself from saying too much.

"Then what about the hour of the beast? At 6:06.06, VenomMyotismon arose!" Matt followed.

"A common error. The devil’s number is 666. But the devil’s hour is midnight." The elder replied, before his entire hologram flickered. "I’m sorry Digidestined, but I’ve already said too much. I must go now! Just remember! Protect Daisuke!"

Almost immediately, he vanished, leaving everyone to just real in the newfound knowledge. Nobody dared speak for about a solid five minutes, but then Mimi broke the tense-filled silence. "Guy’s, if what he’s saying is true, then what was our supposed future supposed to be? If we’re so happy now, does that mean that we’re miserable in the other?"

A great question that I knew the answer to. ‘Sorry Mimi, you’re not happy in the other world… you’re dead…’





Daisuke’s POV



"Hey squirt!" Jun smiled widely, throwing a pillow from the couch at me. "Nice to have you back! It was getting boring not having anyone to fight with!" she joked. I batted away the purple pillow easily, grinning at my sister as she walked forward and wrapped her arms around me. "I missed you Dai! Don’t ever give me a scare like that again!"

"Or else what?" I smirked, giving her a quick squeeze. As much as we fought in public, we were really close. She knew everything about me, and I knew everything about her. We weren’t all kisses and hugs like the Osmond siblings, but we had our moments.

"I’ll think of something." She winked, helping me over to my room. "Now, listen to your older sister and get some sleep! You had a really traumatic experience and you need all the rest you can get! I’ll keep it down for you."

"Thanks Jun." I smiled, stifling a yawn. She was right. I was tired and needed sleep. Hospitals aren’t exactly the most peaceful places.

"Hey! No problem! What would I do without my little brother!? Hell, I’d have to go around searching for someone else to pester, and that would waste valuable time…"

"Shut up." I chuckled as she sat me down and pulled the blankets up to cover my body. If felt great to be back in my own room and not have to worry about anything. My head felt like air as I drifted off to sleep.

"Night Dai." She whispered, kissing my cheek and shutting off the lights. Since it was early in the afternoon, it was still sunny outside, so she shut my blinds, blocking off all the light in my messy room.

Yet, small beads managed to push themselves inside, weakly illuminating the areas they touched. Pathetic shadows began to form as an eerie melody filled the room.

The sound drifted around, placing itself over me like a cloud. For some strange reason, I felt it penetrate through my skin, as that smell filled my nostrils. Roses.

My eyes instantly opened, and my body jerked up. I began panting rapidly, as a crushing feeling slowly dug into my chest. By this time, it was night; the wide moon staring me right in the face. But hadn’t Jun shut the curtains?

"Daisuke…" the music seemed to scream out. I spun around, looking for anybody at all, yet I found nothing. I shivered involuntarily, as the sound crawled up my spine.

"Who’s there?" I called out, scanning my room. I was the only one there, so why did it feel like there was someone else? Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted something, but when I turned to face it, all I saw was my reflection. My mirror.

I subconsciously laughed at myself for being so paranoid. But the music didn’t stop, it only got louder, and the smell of roses became almost physically choking. I coughed several times, trying to rid the once beautiful smell, but it never went away.

Suddenly, my door opened. I didn’t even stop to think as I darted out, inhaling sharply as fresh air entered my body. The hammering in my chest suddenly ceased. But at once, a splitting sound echoed through the empty halls, as I felt the most awesome pain in my life.

It burned through my skull, setting millions of nerves off. Hot fire seared trough my skin, paralyzing every moving muscle. My brain felt this unbelievable amount of pressure pushing down on it, until the point I thought it would burst.

Then, with a final rip, I felt my body go limp. My hand hit the ground with a deafening thud. All I could remember was the agony tearing through my flesh as scorching tears flowed from my eyes. I just remember crying all alone, praying that someone would come help me.

My voice was a little over a dull whisper as I screamed out for help. My throat raspy, as if I had been hollering for hours on end. What the hell was happening to me? My entire body was sore, swollen and beaten, but nobody had touched me.

"Daisuke…" the musical voice called out again. "Daisuke stand up…" what the hell? Was this thing crazy? I could barely breathe, let alone move! But as the tempo of the music began to quicken, so did my heartbeat. And as soon as that happened, my body seemed to regenerate.

Within a minute I felt the strength return to me, and I was able to stand on my own two legs once again. I wobbled a bit at first, as if it was the first time I had ever walked. A sharp digging sensation momentarily spread through my joints, but disappeared just as quickly as it had started up.

A chilled breeze sauntered over to me, almost reaching out and grabbing me. I shuddered at the contact as the icy wind slapped at my skin, but at the same time welcomed it as it cooled down the burning my flesh was going through. "Who are you?" I asked, peering about.

"Whoever you want me to be." It replied, taking on a voice now. Airy and feminine, smooth and comforting.

"That doesn’t answer my question." I smirked, trying to lighten up the mood. BANG! My head instinctively snapped around, now facing a window that I knew my house didn’t have. It was just staring out onto Japan. Neon signs and street lamps glowed, brightening up the relatively dark road. But most importantly, I was facing the bell tower. And like always, it was ringing midnight.

But this time, it was different. Way different! There was someone else in the room with me, someone that I felt I knew. And as soon as the bells stopped, my hands began to tremble. The very blood beneath my skin ran cold.

"I’m someone that knows you; the true you!" she whispered in my ear. I even felt her soft lips brush against my ears as she spoke. That damn smell of roses suddenly becoming intoxicatingly seductive.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" I asked, suddenly short of air. My breaths were less frequent, and more forced than anything. She smirked, making a deliciously adorable sound as she turned to face me. Her arms now laced possessively around my neck.

"Simple really." She smiled. She was so beautiful. Shocking violet eyes hidden underneath a veil of deep Prussian hair. She was just about the most gorgeous creature I had ever seen in my life. But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that she wasn’t human. "I know everything about you Daisuke Motomiya."

"What do you want?" I barely muttered, pulling her slender body closer to mine. The moon flashed a peculiar shade of violet as she continued to gaze at me. I felt like a prisoner off her eyes. They were just so deep and all knowing. Almost petrifying.

She looked away, reaching behind her for something, and returning with a small dagger. I expected her to stab me with it, ending my life; but instead she showed me her palm. Without even thinking, I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on it. As I backed away, she held the blade tightly, and yanked at it sharply. A thin trail of blood submerging on the kiss I had just given her. "My future."

"Wrong." I gasped, as she pressed that hand down on my chest. Her blood was suddenly filling my body as she went slightly limp in my arms. Things started to race around inside of me, trying to figure themselves out. And I felt like a totally new person. I squeezed my eyes shut, gasping loudly as unexpected knowledge filled my brain to the brim. Yet, each of those thoughts were of pure evil, death and destruction. "Our future."



Ken’s POV



"Oh God…" I panted, terror stricken. All of the Digidestined turned their head to mine, looking at me rather worried as I collapsed to the ground. My heart feeling like it had gone through a blender.

Kari began to inhale piercingly, clutching at her own chest in a panic. "They have him!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, breaking down crying.

"No!" I hissed, ignoring the agony going through my stomach as I stumbled over to the door. I had to get out of here… he was still in this world! I could still save him!

"Ken stop!" Sora shrieked, grasping onto my shoulders and pulling me back. "What’s going o you two?!" she demanded to know.

"Daisuke!" Kari cried, falling into Miyako’s arms. All the older girl could do was hold her comfortingly, and make calming hushing sounds. "No… no…" she sobbed.

"What’s wrong with him!?" Matt exploded, jumping up from the bed he was sitting. His wide sapphire eyes slicked back with alarm.

"Let me go Sora!" I screamed, pulling furiously at her hold. "He’s still here! We can save him!"

"Save Daisuke!" Kari wept, digging her head into Miyako’s body. "Please God save him…"

"Matt, let’s go!" Tai commanded, as both boys tore out of the room, rushing out of the door. Both were obviously heading over to Dai’s.

But then, I lost his presence. I just couldn’t feel him anymore. "No…" I breathed, falling to the hardwood floor suddenly. My knees connected first, then my palms. "They won’t find him." Blistering tears swelled in my eyes as the salty liquid splattered on the floor.

"Where is he Ken?" Mimi snapped, charging at me. She placed her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in close. She was the only one that knew of my feelings for him, besides Kari.

"He’s not here." was all I could reply through tears. Her grasp on me tightened as she began to stroke my hair lightly; throwing worried looks over at Sora.

"Is he in the Digiworld?" she asked again as I weakly nodded. But suddenly, my sorrow turned to anger as I glared at Kari menacingly.

"This is all your fault!" I bellowed. "You could have stopped this, but you didn’t! And now she has him Kari!"

"It’s not as if you didn’t know too Ken!" she snapped back, immediately becoming less dependent on Miyako.

"Woah!" Joe calmed. "What are you two babbling about here! "There was no way either of you could have known about this!"

"Or could you." Izzy spoke up, looking thoughtfully at both of us. "Both of you knew didn’t you?" everyone’s eyes darted between us as we both sighed, looking up guiltily.

"Yes, we knew. And we alone are the only ones that can change it." Kari answered.

"What else do you know?" the keeper of Knowledge inquired. Both Kari and myself knew we couldn’t tell them, so we just averted their judging stares. "Guys, you need to tell us! This whole thing could have been avoided if you had only asked for our help!"

"No, nothing could have been avoided! This was how this future was to be played out, and the only thing we could have done here is basically sit back and watch." I replied melancholic. "She has him in the Digiworld. It’s too late."

"Then we have to get there and save him!" Iori declared, yanking out his D-3 and emailing Tai and Matt telling them of our new plan. After waiting several minutes for then to return, we finally opened the Digiport and were sucked through.

"Where would she have taken him?" Tai wondered aloud, scanning the area we were in. everything was gray and mountainous. There were minimal trees, but you couldn’t even consider them that. Dead hollowed out pieces of wood. There, that’s a better description.

All our Digimon clamored around us, standing protectively in front of their respected masters. Veemon stood by me, completely useless. Without Daisuke, he couldn’t Digivolve into Flamedramon or Raidramon. He was just in the way now.

"Where’s Daisuke?" he asked in his stuttering voice. The small blue Digimon’s eyes were coated in tears as he looked for his partner. "Tell me Ken! Where is he?!"

"I’m not going to lie to you my friend. The evil has him now, and we’re going to fight to get him back!"

"That’s what you think." Someone laughed loudly. Everyone turned to face her, ready to Digivolve at any moment. "King Daisuke won’t be rejoining you anytime soon."

"Tasuimon." Wormmon and Veemon hissed at the beautiful Digimon. She just smirked widely, jumping down from what she was standing on and began to walk over to us slowly. At once, everyone Digivolved into stronger creatures, ready to attack.

"I won’t do that if I were you." She snickered maliciously. "You all know as well as I do you cannot defeat me. You never will." She casually flicked away her hair, and glared at us almost tauntingly.

"What did you do to Daisuke!?" Veemon shouted out, marching up to the taller Digimon. She just gradually leaned down, looking him directly in the eyes.

"I have done nothing to Daisuke. I just, oh, opened his eyes to the new possibilities of the new future. And he gladly accepted his fate, as each of you will shortly." She smiled again, stepping back.

"Give him back!" the noble Digimon screamed, charging forward at her.

"Veemon no!" Kari and I both yelled, but it was too late. Tasuimon had already grabbed him, and held him up by the neck. He wiggled and kicked viciously to get out of her grasp, but she overpowered him greatly.

"I guess I shall make an example out of this one!" she laughed evilly, as she spoke her attack. "Life Drain." You could literally see the energy being sucked out of him as she absorbed his life.

"Stop it!" I shouted, tackling her without thinking. She glared over at me, throwing the almost dead Veemon to the ground in a pile of bone and skin as she stood up.

"Now that was rude of you Ken. Interrupting me like you did…" she snapped, stepping forward, clutching at my hair and tugging it painfully. She dragged me over, and lifted me off the ground. "Very rude indeed."

"Ken!" everyone cried as she placed her hand around my neck. Two small needles shot out, penetrating my skin as she smirked at me.

"You’ll never be able to save him. You had your chance with him, and you blew it. Now it’s my turn." She whispered, so that only I could hear. "Life Drain!"

At once, all my power seemed to leave my body. My already pale skin dropping several shades whiter. I choked violently as the energy was being sucked through my throat, stopping all oxygen from entering my body. If I didn’t die from her attack, I would surely die of asphyxiation.

"That’s enough Tasuimon!" Daisuke’s voice ordered. She dropped me, looking over at the direction he had just entered from. "You’re not supposed to harm him."

"I know." She sighed, floating over to his side. Everyone gasped as they looked over at him, and as I slowly managed to pull my frail body over, I did a double take.

He was the Emperor. He was wearing the exact same outfit I had previously worn, except it didn’t fit him awkwardly, it just covered him like a second skin. But there was a slight difference from the one I wore, and the one he wore now. Daisuke’s was a blood red with black slashes across the arms.

"Daisuke…" Veemon coughed, slowly crawling over to his master. "I knew you were all right." He coughed again as he managed to stand up grasping onto his leg like a crutch.

Dai just leered down, kicking away the injured Digimon and raising his hand to his height level. "Inferior creature! How dare you touch me!?" he spat, allowing a ball of yellow light to form in his palm. Then the orb of light changed into something that resembled the blade of a sword, and he threw it harshly at his Digimon.

"Veemon duck!" Mimi screamed. But her warning came too late. The Digimon walked right into the attack, and instantly deleted before our eyes. Small blue squares floated up into the sky getting carried away by the slow breeze. Everyone stared in disbelief at what had just happened. He… he had just murdered his best friend…

"Filth." Dai spat, brushing his leg harshly. His chocolate eyes weren’t adorned with glasses, but at that moment I wished they were. I couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes with that insane glint.

"Digidestined!" Gennai screamed, appearing before us instantly. "Quickly!" there was a portal of light that appeared, and everyone ran through. Someone grabbed me, and dragged me in, and the opening sealed when we were all inside.

"What the hell was that? Why did he do that?" Matt barked, as he grabbed the old man by the collar, and shook him harshly. He was trying so hard not to cry for his recently fallen friend, that it wasn’t even funny.

"I am so sorry. I should have told you this sooner, but the council refused to allow me. But I have to now. I refuse to let it happen again!"

"Allow what to happen again?" Sora screamed, wiping away the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.

"I can’t allow you all to die again!" he hissed, instantaneously silencing the room. "I can’t bear to lose you again…"

"Again…" Tai stated blankly, fumbling as he fell to the ground. "What do you mean again?"

"Thirty-five years ago, there were the original Digidestined. And I mean the original-original Digidestined. These children were gifted in ways unimaginable to the humans, and they were all ridiculed and shunned. But the council saw them as our saviors, and we took them on, as the 1^st Digidestined. You see, it was written that twelve children would venture here one day and vanquish the evil."

"Like how it was for us." Izzy added on.

"These children were so special. You have no idea. Each were kind and courageous, lively and intelligent. Reliable and valiant, while being sincere and loving. They made friends quickly, and were honest, while holding an unheard of amount of hope and light."

"Our crests." Tk breathed.

"And with these traits, they defeated all the evil. And throughout their journey, they fell in love making their powers stronger. But little did they know, their love would also be their downfall, because while fighting Apoclamon, each gave up their lives for their loved ones. The first to die was the guardian of Courage, who pushed the guardian of Friendship away."

Matt looked over at Tai, smiling slightly at his best friend and soul mate. "What happened next Gennai?" he asked.

"Love, then Reliability. Friendship, Sincerity and Knowledge might as well have died. But they fought on, yelling at the younger children to get away. Sincerity died helping Light, and Knowledge when Kindness fell. Friendship sacrificed himself when his brother, Hope, was taken captive."

"So that means that our original holders lived." Iori noted, looking over at the newest members of the team. "And Kari and Tk’s holders."

"Not exactly. As always, there was a problem. Life was lost one night, and Light searched for days on end to recover him. When he was finally found Tasuimon had already gotten to him, and well, the rest is unknown. But when Light and Love finally came together, they ended up injuring Apoclamon beyond help, but they gave up their own lives in the process." Gennai finished. "Hope, Kindness, Valiance and Honesty were left alone after the two strongest had died. But in his final effort, Apoclamon destroyed them all with one attack."

"So they all died." Miyako uttered, grasping onto Tk’s hand.

"No. they didn’t, because I’m looking at them all now." Gennai sighed. The shocked expressions on the faces of new and old Digidestined alike were enough to stop time.

"What are you trying to say Gennai?" Tk stuttered. "Are you trying to say that we were reborn?"

"It was a process called the Death and Resurrection. The council had created a spell that would insure the Digidestined would always be there to defend this world. If they were to ever die, they would be reborn, but with no memories of their past selves."

"So I’m not really Matt Ishida? And that’s not really Joe Kido?" Matt implied.

"Yes. You aren’t who you believe you are. But in the same sense, yes you really are Matt and Joe and Izzy. You were raised by families that shaped who you would be now. Sadly, there was an error, and things got a little sticky."

"When Kari and myself switched, it threw off the future. You see, Tk and myself were supposed to be the only survivors of the battle with Apoclamon. All of you were supposed to die. But Kari saved your life."

"Haven’t you ever wondered why Daisuke and Tai resemble each other so much?" Gennai stated. "When Tai didn’t die, Daisuke was still born, but without Tai’s soul, which he needed. He bore the exact same physical qualities and emotional qualities as Tai, but he could never fully become him, because Tai wasn’t dead."

"And Miyako Sora and myself." Mimi added, as Joe and Izzy both looked at Iori. "So the new group are just copies of the originals?"

"In a way yes, and in a way no. If the new group were to ever become you, they would need your souls. You would need to die first. And sad to say, if you do die, then the future will fix itself, and that’s what Tasuimon is doing now."

"She needs Daisuke, because she fell in love with him, and with his power of Life, she can destroy us, just the way Apoclamon was supposed to kill us." Kari finally spoke up. "Us new children are safe, but the first group are in grave danger. Daisuke’s crest can give life or take it away, just like Apoclamon could. If he kills you, it’ll be as if Apoclamon was doing it himself."

"But then how are we not affected?" Miyako asked. "We were part of the original twelve."

"No, you were called on later, when the original eight were having problems. But it is imperative that you rescue Daisuke. If you don’t, not only does he run the risk of killing you, he can re-open the rift in space and make it as if you never existed! The Digiworld would die!"

"But how do we save him?" Joe piped up. "Both of them are ruthless. We know that. And they are obviously stronger than al of us put together! How are we supposed to figure out how to save him?!"

"I cannot help you with that. It’s something you have to solve on your own. But as your guardian, I have faith in you all! Use the knowledge you have acquired over the years, and use it! And still remember, things are not what they seem here."

The barrier of light that was around us vanished as he disappeared, and we were faced with Dai and Tasuimon again. Both involved in a lengthy kiss that literally kicked me in the stomach. I was still to weak t do anything, so Stingmon stayed by me possessively.

"So. You returned." Dai joked, running one of those blades of light through his gloved fingers. "Goodbye Digidestined, it’s time to die."

"Not on your life." Tai spat, as Greymon stepped beside him. "We won’t let you win Daisuke!"

"Well this isn’t a game of soccer Tai." He smiled, using the almost blinding light as a pencil as he drew swirls in the sandy dirt. "Flamedramon, if you will." He allowed, backing away gracefully.

We all turned around, faced with the hollowed eyes of Veemon’s armor Digivolved state. The Digimon screamed out loudly, as it flew at us with a blinding speed. The sound of flesh ripping was heard, followed by a painful gasp as a loud thump was heard.

"Oh God no…" TK gasped.

[ part three ] . [ main page ] . [ guestbook ] . [e-mail ]