Well it’s good to know that you'll be okay.
I've been waiting for this.
And I'll be there to sit while you pray.
No one’s blaming me, I’m not supposed to wait.

Our Lady Peace -- In Repair

"We're back! I can't believe this!" Matt cheered happily, as he gazed at the dismal area, which was once upon a time his home. The once crowded and noisy Japan that radiated life and joy. The time had passed so quickly, almost ten years of jumping from world to world. Universe to universe. It had been so long since he had seen his home and he was beginning to lose hope that he would ever encounter Earth again.

“Sora on the other hand, began to break down crying. She, for some reason, couldn't feel the overpowering happiness that Matt seemed to emit. Izzy was at her side in less than a second, holding onto his girlfriend, clutching at her tightly, supporting her weight as she gasped for air, barely able to breath. "She's dead," she whispered softly, crying once again. Her once beautiful eyes were bloodshot and aged.

"Sh Sora, it's okay," Izzy comforted her, knowing perfectly well this was probably the worst thing that could have ever happen. Even in a time such as the one they were in, nobody could feel joy. It was stolen from them. They had lost one of their own. Mimi was dead and there was no way she would be able to come back.

"Go to Tai,'' she muttered, casually glancing at the leader of their group. His handsome face was monotone, dead, emotionless. Twisted into a look of pure, uncontrollable grief and misery. He was just staring at the blood stained rubble, trying furiously to not cry.

"Okay love," he promised, kissing the top of her head as he began his short journey over to where Tai was perched, half dead. The bearer of courage barely acknowledged his presence. He looked around, like Matt was, coughing suddenly as the stench of death and destruction loomed over them. The situation was so sad.

They traveled for years on end, searching for the Life Stones with a hope that they would one day return home and save their planet. Now they knew that that search had been in vain, because they were too late. Their home was a wasteland. Rubble covering everything, as it blocked paths and basically acted as a large, stonewall.

"This is horrible, " Tk gasped, falling to his knees looking up at the half demolished buildings. Blast marks were scorched through the metal as long blackened scars twisted around the buildings that were miraculously still intact. No doubt the poor victims of a Crimson Lightening. "This can't be real. It has to be another world!" he almost screamed in denial, remembering time upon time how he had visited places far worse than this, only pulling through because he reminded himself he would one day be able to go home to a place that was free of the torture and torment he had witnessed throughout his robbed childhood.

"Over here!" a shockingly familiar voice cried out. Heavy footsteps on pavement, or what was left of pavement thundered in the small area they had been confined too and to the Digidestined's shock, they were surrounded by the faces of people they didn't recognize, all lead by a familiar face they were more than happy to gaze upon.

"Azreal," Joe gasped, looking at his old friend. The years had worn him down slightly, giving him a hard look and the years of unwanted responsibility that bore down on his shoulders made him appear ages older than he really was. But through all that, he still bore the same smile on his face. His pale gray eyes lit up when he saw the group he had previously met years ago.

"You're back! I can't believe you're back!" he cried merrily, throwing his muscular arms around a still sobbing Sora, much to Izzy's dislike. Sadly, he assumed that her tears were those of happiness from being away from a place so long. The kind a person gets when he finally returns from a long vacation.

"So these are the original Digidestined," a boy with indigo hair muttered, smirking widely. His violet colored eyes sparkled with interest as he spied the new people before him, never wavering his steady gaze. There was a look of intelligence that sparkled off his slender frame and a flame of curiosity that probably matched Izzy's.

"I thought we'd never meet you!" the tallest girl there cheered, kicking her hands up in the air in a motion of victory. Her pale lavender hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that spilled over her shoulders, wrapped up tightly with a deep blue bandana. She was pretty and that was something Joe seemed to notice right away. As she approached the originals, the blue haired boy noted that her stunning amber eyes only matched her looks.

"Daisuke will be so disappointed he missed this. He worships the original leader," the boy with the violet eyes stated with a hint of disappointment. For he would have given anything to see the look of happiness shine in the twin pools of molten chocolate that adorned the slightly shorter new leader. He took one last look at them individually before shaking his head as if he had forgotten something. "Oh, by the way, my name is Ken Ichijouji. New member of the Digidestined and bearer of Kindness."

"Miyako," the purple haired girl said simply with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "Listen, as much as I would love to stay around and chat, we have to get out of here. Myotismon could be anywhere!" and with that, she picked up the heavy bag she was carrying, strapped it around her shoulder and darted off. Ken smirked again before laughing lightly as he followed her, his ponytail now visible from the back.

"Azreal we..." Izzy began to say depressingly, but the military trained soldier interrupted with a movement of his wrist. His eyes still twinkling with that unholy light and his long dreaded hair lazily flopped in front of his tanned face.

"Listen, like Miyako said, if Myotismon sees us, we're as good as dead. Might as well get to our base where it's safe and then we'll talk!" he ordered, as he charged off after his teammates not really giving the emotionally and physically worn out Digidestined a chance to protest.

"Hey," Matt exclaimed suddenly. "Where's Mimi?" at the mention of her name, Tai, who had been fighting a brave battle with his emotions, collapsed. Tears were rolling off his cheeks like waterfalls as his heart wracking sobs echoed in the deserted town. Before he could hit the ground, Azreal caught him and lifted him back to his feet, still holding onto his weak form so he didn't tumble again.

"What the hell?" he muttered, holding his best friend in the entire world up. He glanced at each member, now noticing how gloomy and miserable they all looked, even in a time of great celebration. That is, all except Matt of course.

"We'll tell you later old friend," Tk promised, looking at the baffled expression that painted its way on Azreal's face. "When we're alone."

He simply nodded in mute agreement, holding up Tai as if her were a lifeless corpse. "Okay, let's get out of here then. Look at the surroundings and memorize them. You'll need to remember how to get back to this place," Azreal remarked, leading them to the place they would now have to call home.

******************************************************************

"We're back!" Ken shouted out as they all approached a well-concealed building amongst the torn down apartments that were once filled with life on the street. "Did you miss us?" he asked, laughing calmly as a few heads greeted them.

"I know I sure did," a boy that almost resembled Tai down to the very last hair smiled. His chocolate eyes were shimmering madly as he saw the blue haired boy and as soon as he stepped within the base, he was grabbed into a warm hug, which left them both smiling.

"Kari, get out here! We have a surprise for you!" Miyako yelled, hiding the smirk that appeared on her pouty lips as she flopping down into a chair and dropping her bag carelessly. There was a slight ruffling heard from one of the rooms as a tall girl with striking light brown hair appeared. Her shirt had been ripped of its sleeves and her long, tight black pants had various tears along the knees but in the eyes of Tk, an angel couldn't have looked better. There was a small silver whistle that was the only thing that remained around her neck from a dysfunctional childhood filled with horrors.

Yet, as soon as her eyes fell on Tai, she trembled, placing her hand over her heart as tears swelled in her mahogany eyes. Her smooth lips opened, as to say something, but she instantly shut them, not sure if what she was seeing was real. There had been so many times in her life when she thought he had returned, but always woke up, allowing the dream to turn into a living nightmare. "Tai…" she chocked after a while, grabbing onto a desk for support. The brown haired boy was also staring at her, with a look that matched hers, trying his best to remain upright after the long awaited reunion.

A smile curved on his handsome face for the first time in what had seemed like forever to the Digidestined. "Kari," he whispered, breaking away from Azreal and running over to her, collecting her in his arms as if she were a stuffed animal. "My God it's you! It's really you!" he sobbed happily, holding his sister tightly.

"They told me you were dead," she wept, burying her face in his navy blue shirt. The attire from their previous jump still clung to their bodies. "They told me you were dead," she repeated several times before she freely wept, not able to form one coherent word.

"I'm still here," he mumbled into her hair reassuringly. But even though he was finally back with the one person that made his life bright again, there was so much pain residing in his eyes that it caused a few of the new Digidestined to gasp. They might not have known what had happened, but a lifetime of sorrow lead them to pick up on things quickly.

"Is it really them Azreal?" a new girl inquired, appearing from the opposite side of the room. For all the Digidestined knew, she could have been there from the second they entered. Her hair was short and dyed a bright pink, highlighted with fuchsia streaks. Her warm brown eyes, borderline green, instantly fell on Azreal as she ran over to him, clutching onto his arm tightly. "They're missing one," she whispered in his ear.

"Where is Mimi Tk?" Azreal directed the question at the blond boy, who was still slightly gazing at the girl wrapped up in Tai's arms. He gently tugged at the youngest members sleeve, leading him over to a secluded corner, staring right into the depths of his cerulean eyes. "What the hell is going on here!? Where's Mimi?"

"Azreal..." he trailed off, sighing deeply as he tried to put the events that had passed into words, sadly, failing miserably. "The last jump, we went somewhere and, well..."

"Dammit just say it Tk!" Azreal hissed lightly, balling his fingers into a tight fist. The younger boy could see that the rebel was trying to be patient but with him stalling the way he was, wasn't helping the situation.

"Mimi's dead Azreal," he spat the words while wincing at the reaction he gave off. In one blinding moment, the tough exterior that Azreal had built up around him over the years crumbled like poorly made mortar.

"Dear God no…" the other boy gasped, as his girlfriend suddenly rushed over to him and grabbed onto his arms, hugging his body close to hers. She instantly saw the anguish that lighted in his once content eyes and she pressed him closer to her, allowing him to wrap his arms around her.

"I'm sorry Azreal. I know how much she meant to you," she whispered, kissing his head softly. Her eyes pleaded at the blonde to give them a few moments and Tk was more than happy to comply.

"How did it happen?" he demanded to know, breaking away from the pink haired girl abruptly. She realized before he could say another word that he wanted to be alone, so she walked off to join the others in the friendly introduction.

"She did it to save us. But for some reason, Matt doesn't remember anything. It's almost as if his mind had been erased or something. And hell, just look at Tai! I can't tell him that Mimi is gone! If we do that to him to, who knows what'll happen!" Tk stated, pointing out the obvious as his finger locked on Tai's figure.

"Poor Tai," he sniffed, never once crying for the late girl he had cherished so much. Years of cruel battle would do that to you. "I've wasted too much time just sitting around here, waiting for Myotismon to attack," he suddenly threw in abruptly. "I don't want to lose anybody on this team Tk. We almost did once and it killed us all. We're a family. We're each other's only family..."

"What do you…" Tk started to speak but was interrupted as Azreal answered him, already knowing the question.

"Join the others and they'll tell you everything," he sighed, motioning for the boy to join him in the other room. As they approached the entrance, they saw that everyone was seated in some type of circle, chatting away happily. But the boy that was introduced as Ken and the boy that resembled Tai were practically sitting on top of each other. Arms wrapped around their waist's contently.

"Well, my name is Gina," the girl with the flashing pink hair smiled. "I'm not a Digidestined like everyone else around here, but I was chosen to bear a crest and help fight," she inhaled rather deeply, gulping in the process. "My family was taken prisoner by Myotismon four years ago and since then, I've had reports tell me that my sister's Dahlia and Lara have become slaves. Who knows about my parents," she exhaled, holding back the obvious tears that wanted to fall. This struck Tk as odd, considering he had a crushing feeling that the girl with the unnatural hair was naturally strong willed and feisty.

"The situations the same with all of us," Ken spoke up. "All our parents were taken prisoner. Our families pulled apart literally. But every time we get close enough to stop him, he pulls out a captured sister," he muttered looking a Daisuke, "a brother or mother," he sighed as his eyes wandered to Miyako.

"That's such a cruel thing to do," Izzy choked. "Even for someone as low as Myotismon!" is voice held a noticeable amount of venom, something that shocked the original Digidestined greatly for Izzy had always been the voice of reason and the calm spirited one.

"He killed my brother," Ken bit flawlessly.

"And my father," Iori, a rather tall boy with long pale gray hair threw in as well. "Human lives mean absolutely nothing to him."

"What about our families?" Joe asked, gulping loudly as the nagging feeling that had been stinging him suddenly appeared.

"They're all alive," Azreal assured them while shaking his head. His black dreadlocks moving with each movement of his skull. "But for how long, we have no idea."

"Hey! Come on guys!" Miyako said suddenly as a wide smile broke out onto her face. She never liked wallowing in self-pity and she would be damned if she let her teammates do it. "We should be celebrating! We're finally together again! Let's talk about all these things tomorrow!"

"Yea, she's right," Daisuke grinned as well. "Okay my turn. My name is Daisuke Motomiya and I'm the new leader of the Digidestined," the boy in Ken's lap smiled as he absently fingered the metal band around his neck.

"What do you mean new?" Tai shot out as a bit of his playful nature subsided as he turned to look at the younger boy.

"Well, it's kind of like this," Daisuke stuttered a little nervously. "The Digidestined, you guys, were reported dead about seven years ago. So, instead of just leaving it off there, Gennai called on a new team. Us. I was appointed leader, holder of the crest of Miracles. You see that big blue ball over there?" he smirked, pointing over at a large bed where all the Digimon were sleeping. Right next to the bed was a distinct case, which held all the crests of the new Digidestined. Wires were attached to them all, pumping in new energy from their Digimon partners. "That's Veemon. My Digimon," nothing but pride was exuberated from his voice.

"I'm Iori Hida," the gray haired boy bowed. "Holder of the crest of Valiance. Armadillomon is my Digimon."

"Miyako Inoue," the girl Joe had been eyeing all night spoke up. She passed a hand through her long locks, smiling sweetly. "I was the last Digidestined to be found and I have the crest of Honesty. Hawkmon's not over there, because he's out patrolling with Gomamon."

"Somebody say my name!?" the fish like Digimon joked boisterously as he marched into the room, next to a bird resembling a turkey. His voice was so foreign to the ears of the Digidestined that they had almost forgotten the carefree nature that was expressed within every word.

"Gomamon…" Joe stuttered, seeing his old friend.

"Joe!" the creature cried loudly, as its head spun around to face to voice. Even though the years had aged his appearance, the Digimon could still clearly see that the man calling him was none other than his life long friend. He seemed to leap from the floor, jumping right into his arms for a warm hug. "I can't believe you're back! You're really back! Quick everybody! They're back!"

"What's all the racket about?" Agumon yawned, walking out of a room, rubbing his eyes with his long orange claws. He froze right on the spot when he saw Tai, almost as if he had seen a ghost. The orange dinosaur's body quivered, as he shook his head, almost as if he were refusing to believe what he was staring at. "Is... is that you... Daisuke?" he muttered softly. He couldn't even count the number of times he had mistaken the new boy as his best friend.

"No. It's me Agumon," Tai smiled lightly, right before he ran over and grabbed up the small Digimon. "God I've missed you so much!" suddenly, Tai looked down at the dinosaur, completely shocked when he saw the large crocodile tears he was crying that seeped into his clothing.

"This isn't a dream! You're really back! It's been so long!" the dinosaur spat out all at once, obviously having so many things to say and one breath to say it in. There was a little under ten years of catching up to do. Almost immediately after, the rest of the Digimon poured out of the small room, rushing over to their respected partners. All except Palmon that is, who just sat in a corner and cried softly. She had known Mimi's fate long before the Digidestined did, she just never wanted to admit it.

"Well, this is a reunion I wish I had a camera for," Tentomon lightly chucked as Izzy gave him another bear hug. "My, my, my Izzy, how you've grown! You're almost an inch taller!"

"Hey!" Izzy laughed defensively. "I'm not that short!"

"If you're comparing yourself to me, of course!" the bug cried. "There's just so much I have to tell you!"

"And you will Tento. Tomorrow after we've all gotten some sleep," he promised as his companion sniffed. Izzy was suddenly reminded that even Digimon need to breath and he allowed Tentomon to get some oxygen circulating through his body again.

Hours later, the old additions to the new team began to yawn subconsciously and they tried their best to rub the sleep out of their eyes but in the end, it proved to be a lesser success. Come to think of it, it was really late. Maybe two in the morning. "Listen guys. We have extra rooms. A lot of extra rooms, considering some people don't respect the one person per room rule," Miyako teased, spying certain couples. "So take your pick and we'll see you in the morning!"

Hawkmon followed her until she hit the end of the wall and walked into her, slightly larger than a closet with a bed and desk room, shutting the door softly behind her. Iori took the one next to her as Azreal and Gina walked into the room across both of them. All the Digimon seemed to have one room completely dedicated to themselves, on the other side of Miyako.

"Night everybody," Daisuke whispered as Ken lightly tugged at his shirt, pulling him inside his room a tad playfully. The duo laughed quietly as the door shut and Ken captured Daisuke's mouth in a fiery kiss.

"And to think," Izzy silently spoke to Sora. "I was scared one of the new Digidestined would steal you away from me!" both of them chuckled quietly to themselves as they kissed silently for a minute, reminding each other of the taste that their lips seemed to bring. They parted toward their own individual rooms and shortly after, all the Digidestined, new and old, were settled down for sleep. That is, all except for Matt, who would constantly ask Tk. "Where did Mimi go?"

******************************************************************

"Dear Lord do you people ever sleep?" Ken snapped playfully at Gina and Azreal as they walked down for breakfast the next morning. A heavenly and homely smell wavered around the entire house. "I got no sleep whatsoever last night!"

"Not as if you were gonna get any in the first place!" Gina barked sweetly at him, causing Daisuke to blush furiously. She just winked at him from the corner of her eye, returning her level gaze to Ken's smirking face.

"Are they always like this?" Tk whispered to Kari, mentally loving every moment he was near the pretty guardian of Light. Even in the short time he had known here, he could feel something drawing him to her presence. There was something intoxicating about Kari Kamiya and Tk told himself firmly the moment he had laid eyes on her he would figure out what it was.

"Every morning," she giggled, handing him a cup of coffee. Something he hadn't tasted in a long, long time.

"Talk about noise pollution!" Ken nipped, smirking widely. "Azreal man, I know every little detail about your damn love life! Keep it to yourselves dude!"

"Look who's talking! We have to be at least twice as loud to block out you two!" Gina retorted, as all four of them fell down onto plush sofas'. Azreal and Daisuke were sighing loudly, ignoring their loves as they shook their heads.

"Bitch," Ken smiled widely, trying not to laugh.

"Right back at yah," Gina winked, sipping her tea.

"Hey! Nobody calls my bitch a bitch!" Daisuke declared defensively to Gina. But then he shook his head, sighing, "That didn't come out right," he muttered as everyone laughed loudly.

"Oh, so now I'm your bitch hun?" Ken cackled, hitting his shoulder. Gina, at this point was killing herself laughing and could barely breath through her loud chuckles. Her hair bobbed with every motion of her shoulders.

"What I meant to say, was nobody call's Ken..."

"We know Daisuke. We know," Azreal stopped him from explaining himself. He gave his girlfriend an exasperated look. "Play nice G!"

"Hey listen. It's our turn to scout the area. We'll be back in a few hours," Ken interrupted, taking Daisuke by the hand and lead him out the fallen pillars, acting as an archway-door. Veemon and Wormmon followed behind, talking to each other pleasantly as the taller one flailed his arms around madly, causing the shorter one to laugh.

"Fairy Queen!" Gina yelled at Ken before he left. That same smile still carved onto her lips. Azreal looked down at her, a hard look set into his handsome face.

"Fairy King," Ken yelled back before disappearing around the bend with one arm wrapped protectively around Daisuke's waist. Both chuckling merrily as Ken rested his head on Daisuke's.

"What's up with those two?" Matt asked. "Besides the obvious. They're like the Bobsey Twins!"

"Sweet Lord no!" Iori gasped, laughing. "They are nothing like that! And if they were..."

"No ten-year-old kid would be allowed to ever read those books!" Miyako cut in, laughing with her friend. Joe began to stare at her discreetly, though his look was one of a man who had been deeply in love his entire life.

"If you're referring to why they're always together, anybody that's been through the Third War can tell you the answer," Kari added. "You see, Myotismon's planned several attacks on us. Over the years, we've dubbed them War's. So far, there's been five."

"We've lost a lot friends in those wars," Gina mentioned, never faltering. "But in the Second War, Myotismon found our first base. How, we're still wondering. But he just blasted it to pieces, not even stopping to try and save anyone that was inside. In a desperate plea from Daisuke, he motioned us all out and distracted Myotismon so we could buy enough time to escape. He basically sacrificed himself for our safety."

"Ken went crazy. Literally, I swear!" Azreal spoke up. "The unique thing about this team is that each person plays a valuable role in making us successful. Everyone has an ability that no other possesses. With Daisuke it's his courage. Without him here, everyone seemed to have lost their backbone. But Daisuke's also brilliant in tactics. Give him any situation and he'll find a way in and a way out," Azreal claimed. "That's why Myotismon hit him first. After he was caught, he was almost killed. The scary thing was, it was like Ken could feel what he was going through."

"If you look at Daisuke, you'll notice he wears this metal band across his neck," Kari explained. "He wears it mostly as a badge of shame, because he allowed himself to be caught. But it also hides the bite marks Myotismon left. When we found him, he was already dead. It took everything we had to bring him back."

"Iori did most of the work though," Miyako gently nudged the slightly blushing boy. "Iori's gift to the group is his amazing medical skill. Since Kari was blood type O, he transfused her blood into him. But once Myotismon found out the holder of Miracle's was still alive, he kept going back after him. The Third War was to capture him and kill him. 'Slice his throat', those were Myotismon's exact words."

"How do you know that Miyako?" Sora piped up.

"Like I said. I was the last child to be found. That was because at the time when the group was being assembled, I was working for Myotismon. The only human!" she told them.

"She was chosen because she knew all of Myotismon's plans and once you put a firearm in her hand, she'll show you how to work it!" Azreal smiled. "Ken's the same way. Except, he's with computers and hacking. Like Iori, he's a trained fighter in hand to hand combat."

"Do you know if that's how we were chosen?" Tk inquired, pulling his eyes off Kari for a second. She blushed a little as she responded to his question.

"We're not sure. But we were told that bonds would be formed with each other that nothing could break. Something like Daisuke and Ken and Azreal and Gina."

"Sora and myself," Izzy smiled, kissing her hand.

"Exactly," Kari beamed. "We all have one and once we meet them, we're supposed to, well, never leave their side. Stick to them like glue! Though, when we got Daisuke back, we didn't even have to tell Ken that," everyone cracked a smile at her remark.

"So tell me Azreal, what have we missed?" Tai questioned. A good night's sleep was all he needed. He seemed less melancholic this morning, which was noticed by all the Digidestined. It wasn't natural for the energetic leader to be depressed.

"Too much," he inhaled sharply. "It's weird though. I mean. I've never really had to explain the Wars to anyone. But that's exactly what they are. Myotismon would just attack, trying to kill us. All you've really missed is running for your life every day, living each day like it would be your last."

"So then why are you and Ken so, so bitter toward one another?" Joe wondered aloud, looking at Gina.

"Oh I love the powder puff," she giggled. "He's like the sister I always wanted!"

"Gina!" Azreal murmured, shaking his head.

"What!?" she exploded innocently. "It's true!"

******************************************************************

"Hey wait up Tai!" Daisuke cried out, running toward his hero. He had been looking for him for some time now, not quite knowing where the bearer of courage was next.

"What is it?" Tai stopped walking and turned around to face the younger child. He found the situation a little uncomfortable, simply because it was like talking into a mirror that showed your past self. But then again, his past self hadn't been struggling to survive everyday.

The boy inhaled deeply, before speaking very rapidly. "I was wondering if you wanted to be the new leader of the group instead of me," he stopped to breathe in again. "You've always been my idol and I would be honored if you took my place and lead the battle against Myotismon..."

"Breathe!" Tai commanded, as the boy took in as much air as he could. "Killing yourself talking to me won't help the situation much!" he laughed. "But why the sudden interest in passing off the torch?" he interrogated, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"Well, think about it!" he explained. "From a statistical stand point, your team is bigger than mine, oh, cause Kari's part of you and Azreal and Gina aren't Digidestined at all and you've been doing this longer than I have and..."

"Woah! Slow down there!" Tai exploded. "But you know this area better than me," he voiced, not even bothering to refer to this dump as home.

"But you're older! And more responsible!" he argued as Tai burst into laughter.

"Me? Responsible? Who told you that? Listen Daisuke, I'm reckless, someone that jumps in headfirst and thinks later. One of those all or nothing types," he re-explained, with correct facts.

The younger boy cracked a smile. "That's how Ken describes me," but his voice wasn't filled with the dreamy hint of love, only with a sigh of sorrow. He rubbed the back of his neck while subconsciously fingering the metal choker with his index finger and thumb. He gently tugged at the metal clasps allowing it to come undone, revealing, like Kari had said, two symmetrical scars, barely an inch apart.

"They told me about how he got you," Tai assured him, so he didn't have to go through the story again. He knew from past experiences he would rather just go on with his story instead of having to stop and explain.

"He got me because he was after me Tai. Sure he's after all of us, but he's singled out me. I'm putting the entire team in danger because of one Digimon's obsession with me," he muttered sadly as he gently touched the two marks.

"I'm getting a feeling that you're not telling me something Daisuke. Either that or you're tell me a half-truth," Tai admitted, brushing away a few stands of his hair.

"Tai, right now, everyone is in danger," he sighed, "and I'm not talking about Myotismon. They're in danger of me. He's part of me," he spat, disgusted. "He killed me and made me his puppet. He used me to hurt the others…" he trailed off, balling his fists. "And when Kari gave me her blood, it pushed him out. But there's this connection between us, which enables him to locate me anywhere. I'm like his pet Tai."

"I didn't know," Tai apologized. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," Daisuke assured him, throwing him a small smile. "This is the thing," he went on, "if they get rid of me and take you, Myotismon won't be able to get in. I've already talked this over with Azreal and Gennai and they reluctantly agreed," he suddenly stopped, wondering if he should go on, but halfheartedly did. "Tai, I know about Mimi. And I'm going to bring her back to you," he whispered, choking on his own tears.

"What?" the taller boy gasped, suddenly losing all the feeling in his body. He had to lean against the wall that was directly in back of him to keep from caving in, because at that moment, his knees decided to turn to jell-o. "What are you talking about Daisuke?"

"It's this ritual I found out about. It's when the leader of the Digidestined exchange his life for another. Right now, I consider myself an enemy to the team, not an ally. You see, I know what he's planning on doing Tai. Myotismon is working on this machine that turns pain into energy. Right now, we're the only things standing in his way and as soon as he gets the machine up and working, he'll kill us all."

"Why are you telling me this?" he murmured numbly. A cold chill passed up and down his spine, making him very uncomfortable.

"Because Tai. You're the one he's going to use. The pain you're going through right now is greater than anything I've... this planet's ever felt before."

"What about Ken!?" Tai shot back. "What happens when he finds out? Don't you think his pain will be stronger than mine? At least he loves you, as much as you love him!" he seemed to scream, as repressed tears flowed from his eyes. The anger that he has been trying to hard to conceal suddenly exploded.

"Tai, you have betrayal and sorrow and loneliness and rage in your heart. I know Ken better than anyone alive. Sure he'll be sad for a while, but then he'd channel all his emotions into something else. You can't do that. Not yet anyway. When she comes back, you'll be better. I know you will."

"I won't allow you to do that Daisuke! I can't!"

"Forget it Tai, it's already been decided. Just promise me you'll take over the group when I'm gone. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have. Tomorrow night it all goes down. And don't try and stop me, I'm a lot stronger than you think," with that, the new leader turned around, walking in the opposite direction. Tai just stared at him for several minutes, not sure if he should be admiring him for his bravery, or his stupidity.

But as Tai turned to continue on in his walk, the impact of what the younger boy had said became clearer to him. He stopped suddenly, allowing the conversation to finally seep into is brain. He was just about to turn around and chase after Daisuke, when out of nowhere Matt appeared. Tears forming at the bottom of his light blue eyes. "Is it true?" he asked viciously, grabbing onto Tai's shirt tightly. His fingers balled so tightly in a fist his knuckled were turning white.

"Is what true?" Tai clashed, pushing him away as he began walking right past him. Matt's eyes lowered as he pulled the brown haired boy back in front of him, refusing to let him leave.

"Why didn't you tell me she was gone?!" he yelled angrily, shaking Tai harshly. So he finally knew… "Why the hell didn't you tell me she was dead?!"

"Because you would act like this Matt! She died saving you and me! She gave up her life so we could get out of that world! Don't you remember anything that happened?" Tai snapped at the raving man, almost having to slap him back to reality.

"No!" he sobbed loudly. "Why can't I remember what happened to her!?" he broke down, clutching at a fistful of Tai's shirt as he sunk to his knees. "Why did she have to die… God I loved her so much…"

"And she loved you," Tai replied painfully. "She always loved you, no matter what," there was a silence between the both of them that was so profound, not even words could begin to describe it. But Matt was the one to break that silence with his agonizing sobs.

"Why? Oh God why?" the blond wept as Tai collected his friend, helping him walk back to the base. The blond had almost cried himself into a peaceful sleep and Tai worried a little, wondering if they would have to drug him to return him to a stable state. But it was as clear as crystal that Matt needed rest now. He had just had his whole world erased at the mention of a sentence. A pain Tai was all too familiar with.

******************************************************************

"So he knows now," Tk sighed, as Kari placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. In the last few days that they had all been together, the guardians of Light and Hope had grown quite fond of each other. It had become painfully obvious that they liked each other and the wiser of the Digidestined, new and old, had began placing bets on when they would finally hook up.

"Just kiss her and get it over with!" Ken exclaimed exhausted with all the small signals they were giving each other on a daily basis. "I'm soon gonna be able to heat food on the sparks between you two!" he exclaimed as they both flushed a bright shade of crimson.

"Blunt son of a bitch aren't you?" Tk asked him one day, as Ken winked.

"Always."

"Just ignore him Tk," Gina advised him. "He's always snippy in the morning. And afternoon. And come to think of it, at night too."

"Just ignore her Tk," Ken lowered his eyes. "She's always a prima-donna in the morning. And in the afternoon and at night..." he mimicked.

"Look who's talking!" she giggled.

"Gina!" Azreal yelled out.

"What! He started it!"

"I did not!" Ken shouted back. "Azreal, your girlfriend lies!"

"Daisuke, your girlfriend's a wimp!" she sniffed falsely, walking away.

"Ken don't," Daisuke warned, not even looking up from the papers he was reading. Tai walked past them, noticeably uneasy around Daisuke.

'I can't let him kill himself tonight,' he thought, looking over at Ken. 'He's throwing away too much. He has a life to live for. Someone that loves him. He'll be ending Ken's life as well.'

"What's wrong Tai?" Ken asked, touching his shoulder gently.

"Nothing really. Just made a small decision. Nothing to worry over," he lied, cracking a fake smile.

"Okay. Sure," he replied, walking back to where Daisuke was hunched over some papers. He saw Ken lean in, whispering something in Daisuke's ear, which made him smile widely. Both their faces always lit up whenever they saw one another.

"We'll be back," Daisuke announced to the group as he muttered something in Ken's ear. He stood up, linking his hand with Kens as he began to tug on the other to follow.

"Sure you will," Gina winked, as Ken gave her a confident smile.

"Just don't expect us back for a little while," he simpered. Tai watched as the two departed, shaking his head. What he was going to do was right. He knew it.

"Listen, I'm gonna go out for a little air," Tai said, standing up after they were both gone for a minute. He pushed in his chair and flattened out his shirt, right before he exited the small house.

"Smart choice. It's my turn to cook tonight," Azreal laughed wholeheartedly as everyone shuddered, all while laughing.

"Ready the stomach pump," Joe joked to Miyako, who giggled softly. Both were lost in their own word of conversation and they barely noticed the smug smiles from everyone around them. It seemed that Kari and Tk weren't the only Digidestined with a bet over their heads…

******************************************************************

"So why did you want to see me alone?" Ken asked, wrapping his arm around the boy that had captured his heart. His pale eyes looked down at his intensely handsome face, smiling to himself while praising the God that had blessed him by putting this angel in his life.

Instantaneously, Daisuke pulled Ken's head down, kissing his lips hungrily. He melted on the taller boy, wrapping his arms around his neck so tightly, Tai was scared he would snap it. You see, by this time, Tai was watching them from a safe distance, just able to hear what they were saying while far enough for it to be not considered eavesdropping.

Ken broke away dreamily, panting while looking down into his eyes. There was this prolonged silence between them, where Daisuke just squeezed Ken, crying madly. The guardian of Kindness knew something was wrong with his love, but said nothing. He just let the sobbing boy cry while he gently passed his slender fingers through his thick hair.

"I'm so sorry Ken…" he apologized after several minutes. The taller boy was still stroking his hair softly. "God I am so, so sorry…"

"For what Daisuke?" he trembled, biting his lip, not really wanting to know what the other boy was talking about. There was this wild look of fear in his icy eyes. "What's wrong Daisuke?"

"Ken," he stifled, wiping away his tears with the back of his yellow glove. He held on tighter, not ever wanting to let go of the warm and safe feeling he got whenever he was around the slightly older boy. "I'm sorry for what I have to do to you."

"What are you talking about?" Ken stuttered. "Daisuke, please talk to me…"

"I have to go… I have to leave you…" he muttered emotionlessly.

"What? Why?" Ken shouted. His arms not sure whether they clutch his love for dear life or push him away angrily. He finally decided on just holding him close.

But Daisuke broke away from his grip, slowly backing up. "I have to do this Ken, or else everyone will die! God… if you died I wouldn't be able to go on," he collapsed to the ground in a pile of tears that were shimmering with bravery. "Just please promise me that you won't be angry with me."

"Daisuke what are you talking about? You're scaring me!" he panicked. Tai noticed that from the very first moment he laid eyes on Ken, he was always calm. He never let his emotions get the best of him that was, unless it had something to do with Daisuke. And right now, at this very moment, the blue haired boy's emotions were running away with him.

"Promise me!" Daisuke screamed at him, clawing at the dirt as he raked it in.

"Not until you tell me what you're talking about!" Ken shouted back, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him up. "You are not leaving me Daisuke! I will not let you leave me ever!"

"But you have to," he whispered, burying his face deep into Ken's chest. "To let me save you…"

That was all Tai needed to hear. Without so much as another word, he turned on his heels and walked away from the emotionally confused duo that was so in love with each other, that it should have been by all rights, outlawed. He left them on that one completely depressing night, now completely focused on his mission.

He wasn't doing it as a favor to his teammates, the ones he had went through countless adventures with, but he did as a friend and person that knew first hand, exactly what it was like losing the one person you ever loved with all your heart.



You told your great tale,
And it's always a shame.
Quite a shame that it goes this way,
Is what she said.

BT-- Shame

"Hey," Joe smiled as he walked pasted Miyako who was sitting over some maps of the city. Her lavender hair was spilling over her sides, lightly brushing the table with its darker tips. He could feel his heart clench as she looked up, smiling angelically. 'God you're beautiful,' his mind raced at his sudden thought.

"Hey yourself!" she giggled, resting her chin in her upturned hand. Her eyes were simply glowing with wonder and sheer curiosity. It almost pained Joe deeply to have someone this special, have to grow up in such a dismal part of hell. "Wassup? Getting bored of this place already?"

Joe chuckled fondly, nervously passing a hand through his dark blue hair. "No, not that, I'm just a little stir crazy. For the greater majority of my life I've been running from evil, but I never had to hide from it."

"That must have been hell," she sighed, her eyes glazing over with pity. I'm 19 years old and ever since I was eight I've been running. I've been hiding and praying that Myotismon didn't find me. But he did." With that, she hopped off the table, landing gracefully on her feet.

"At least you were home," Joe sighed, reverting back into the melancholic tone he had donned. "I was in different universes, each one more scary and deadly than the last. I celebrated birthdays right along with death dates. It's been horrible. The only way we all managed to pull through this, was the thought of one day being able to come home."

"This isn't home anymore," Miyako almost growled. "This is hell."

"No, this really isn't," Joe reminisced, "I've been to hell and back twice. At least the misery there is accepted and hope doesn't exist. The people there live in complete harmony with the evil and their fear is what keeps them alive." He whimpered deeply as his eyes began to mist over. Looking at Miyako, he tried to smile, but it ended up looking like a forced smirk. "This place isn't hell at all." Joe sighed deeply before his agate eyes hardened. "Hell is better than this."

******************************************************************

"How is he Kari?" Tk asked as he fidgeted nervously. Matt went hysterical when he found out what happened and when Tai brought him back, he had fallen unconscious. He'd been asleep for hours and Kari and Iori took turns looking in on him to make sure he was still breathing.

"No change since you asked me four seconds ago," she winked at him. Joking wasn't helping the situation out much at all and Tk ended up collapsing into a chair that had been placed in the corner. He rubbed his azure eyes, wanting to close them. Permanently. This much agony wasn't worth fighting for. Nothing seemed to be worth fighting for anymore.

"This is so bad," Tk muttered into his hands and he passed his fingers through his golden hair. "I thought that this would all change when he got back home. I thought that things would be better once we got back here." he spoke up after a minute of silence.

"It'll get better Tk. It can't get any worse," Kari tried to comfort as she gently began rubbing his back. Her fingers passed over tensed muscles the young teen shouldn't have had as she lightly began massaging his shoulders. Sharp sparks were rushing around her body as she desperately tried to not spin him around and kiss him.

Ever since the Chosen Child of Hope had entered her life, it had literally been turned upside down. He was handsome and courageous and for once in her life, she didn't mind being where she was. She had hated Japan ever since Myotismon had arrived but now with Tk there, it didn't seem like such a bad place. It almost seemed… perfect.

"Kari," Tk moaned softly as he turned around, gazing into her large amber eyes. She had to bite her tongue to keep focused. His sparkling azure eyes literally paralyzed her as she scanned his face, taking in every part in an almost worshipful manner. He was so handsome. She had never seen such a beautiful person. It was as if there was a living angel a mist the battlegrounds.

"Tk," she breathed before she gave into the urges that had been plaguing her since the moment she laid eyes on him. Their lips collided in a fury of heat and passion. The keeper of Hope's fingers glided through her awing sun burnt hair as he pulled her closer, not wanting the feeling he was experiencing to vanish.

Both teenagers clung to one another, finally allowing their feelings to be expressed in a way that left both breathless. When they finally broke apart, panting slightly, they gazed into each other's eyes, clutching onto one another as they cried out all the rage and fear they possessed.

For you see, life works in mysterious ways. Suffering and hardship is the basis for any existence, yet hope somehow manages to escape the death and destruction. They do in fact say the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. And yet, just when you think a situation can't get any worse, a blinding pain cuts a straight line right through the heart, causing a human to suddenly smile. Some call it desolation and others call it love.

******************************************************************

"Have you seen Tai this morning?" Gina asked Azreal as the handsome warrior shook his head. "I'm worried about him. I saw him patrolling a while ago and he looked like death. Then when I saw Ken, he was crying his eyes out and I couldn't even find Daisuke."

"It's happening Gina. I can feel it," Azreal stated as he strapped another belt of bullets around his shoulder. "It's all gonna end soon but it's not gonna be pretty. I… I know two of us are going to die."

"So do I," she almost spit, yanking the crest off her neck. "So much for the Crest of Future." She hissed as she squeezed it in her fist. "This isn't fair! We finally gathered together only to be torn apart again! Azreal, I can't do this anymore. I've been fighting my entire life. I'm sick and tired of it! All I ever wanted was to lead a normal life! Not this… God, I never wanted any of this…"

"Nobody did G, but we have to deal. I need you right now more than anything. You're strong. We need strong people right now. The team depends on it." the look in his eyes was nothing short of comforting.

"Azreal, I swear, as soon as this is over, I'm leaving. I can't stay here anymore. If I could, I'd already be gone."

"And I'll be right by your side," he promised, whispering in her ear as he kissed her cheek. The pink haired girl sighed deeply as she leaned back, resting on her boyfriend's strong chest, just listening to his heart beating under his vest. "I love you Gina and I'll protect you."

"I know you will. I just don't want to see you hurt," she trembled as he wrapped his arms around her tighter, pulling her body into his. "Azreal I've seen the future. Both of them actually. There's no happily ever after for any of us."

"Then that's something we'll just have to change. We have a lifetime to work it out."

"Swear?"

"On my life."

"Good. This game we're playing is getting real old real fast. Normal seems so appealing right now."

"We'll fix things G. We have to. A lot depends on us you know."

"Too much," she sighed as she broke out of the embrace they were sharing. "Listen, Azreal, I know this isn't necessary, but watch out. Something's going on right in this base that we're not completely sure of, and that's what's going to cause a lot of heartbreak. Do me a favor and find Tai. Please?"

"I'll try," he swore as he stood up. "It's my turn to patrol anyways." With that, the young man took up his gun and walked out of the protection their base held and into the busy streets where danger lurked behind every corner.

Gina hated this more than anything. Every time one of the Digidestined walked out of the door, there was always the possibility that it could potentially be their last time ever seeing their temporary home again.

Not bothering to look back, she turned down the winding staircase and walked in on a conversation between Joe and Miyako. Both looked more depressed than she had ever remembered seeing. She quietly slipped in back, into the kitchen where she saw Sora.

She curiously looked at the girl for a moment before deciding to speak. "Hey, morning."

"Morning to you as well," the redhead smiled as she took a sip of the tea she had made. Placing it back on the broken table, she coughed, continuing her speech. "Gina, I know this might sound weird to you, but I just have to know. Why hasn't anyone tried to help? I mean, it's been years and not one other country has tried to help?"

"No, they tried. Getting in was the hard part. Myotismon put up a shield and now no one can get in or out. And to make matters worse, he's linked the barrier to our parents wills. If we try to destroy it, we'd be destroying them in the process. Sneaky bastard."

"I…" Sora began, but was violently cut off as a loud explosion occurred, causing the entire fort to tremble. Another explosion echoed right after the other and before Sora knew what was happening, Gina had grabbed her arm and hit a button.

A loud siren began to whirl and a blinding red light doused everything in the room. "Get ready for battle! He's found us!" she screamed as she kicked open a closet filled with ammunition. Before Sora's eyes, the Digidestined had materialized in front of her eyes, each readying themselves with firepower.

"Everyone, get out of here now!" Iori hollered. "It's going to cave in! It can't support the magnitude of the blasts!" Izzy had found his way to Sora under the quaking earth, wrapping his arms around her as both followed Miyako out into the dusty air.

"Everyone on the look out!" Azreal commanded as he turned the corner. His left arm had a large gash on it that was bleeding profusely as bits of dirt and rock that clung to his outfit. He had been caught in the crossfire of the explosions.

"Well," smirked a regal voice from deep within the dust. The faces of every Digidestined suddenly darkened, new and old. It was the voice of the one they had never and would never be able to forget. Myotismon… "So glad to see you're alive and kicking Azreal."

"No thanks to you," he barked out, pulling his gun closer to his chest.

"Yes, I am dreadfully sorry for your accident. Next time I won't miss," the vampire Digimon smirked sardonically before turning his gaze on Ken. "Ichijouji," he purred, "how's Daisuke? I hope doing well. I miss him terribly."

"Bastard," Ken swore under his breath as he slowly reached for something in his back pocket. Once his fingers brushed against the round object, he carefully concealed it within his fist. 'Where are you Daisuke?' his mind screamed out to his love.

"Please, don't answer all at the same time," Myotismon quipped. "Now I won't ask you again! Where is Daisuke?"

"Like I'd tell you even if I knew!" Ken spat at the monster in front of them. His blood was boiling, and the thought of that… that creature touching Daisuke made his skin crawl. Myotismon would have to get through him before he even let him next to Daisuke again. "I would sooner bow down to you!"

"See Digidestined, I didn't come here today to fight. I came here to bargain. We have two ways to do this. The easy way, or the messy way. Whichever you chose it won't really matter because I will come out of here victorious."

"Like hell you will," Kari retorted, "We've been running from you for too long. This ends here." the determination in her voice was overpowering. With one hand on her gun and the other on her crest she was not leaving this battle.

"Nicely put Child of Light. But it's not that simple. For you see, I came here today to take what is rightfully mine. I refuse to leave without it and there is no way you can even lay a finger on me. So save yourselves the trouble. Give me Daisuke."

"No," Ken hissed again.

"This is becoming tiring. I really don't understand why you continue to fight a war you will never win. I'm willing to end it all right now. If you give me Daisuke, I will retreat back to the Digiworld and release everyone. Isn't that what you've always wanted Digidestined?"

The look on everyone's face was one of pure horror. The offer was beyond tempting, to just end all this misery. But each one knew they wouldn't let Daisuke go. Myotismon would become infinitely powerful with the new keeper of Courage by his side. And there was no way Ken would let him have the one person he loved more than his own life.

"No Myotismon. We won't do that," Tai said suddenly, appearing from almost nowhere. "If you want him, you'll have to come and take him. And I know you won't go through me."

"Ah, Taichi Kamiya. It's been a while hasn't it?" Myotismon smirked, showing off his two perfect fangs. "I only want my pet back Tai. This will all end. Your years of searching will not go to waste."

"They already have," he stated as he stepped in front of the group, almost being face to face with their enemy. He wasn't scared. Not anymore. Death would be a welcome burden if he could forget his life.

"You're being foolish now," Myotismon hissed as his hands began to glow a faint crimson. "Either give him to me or I will take him now."

Tai only smirked coldly. Sora, standing off at the side gasped as she gazed upon his handsome face. His eyes, the ones that used to burn with a foolish courage, were as cold as marble. They just sat like brilliant rocks of liquid chocolate upon his tanned face. He never looked more exquisite or petrifying at the same time.

It was then a second series of explosions rocked the very foundation of their base. Myotismon fizzled away as the aftershocks caused the rocks around them to fall. Chunks of the once tall and proud skyscrapers began to break apart and collapse, some merely missing them by centimetres.

"Run!" Azreal choked out as everything around them began to fall. To those who were on the ground, it appeared as if it were raining concrete. Each of the Digidestined scrambled to exit the area, sometimes having to stop suddenly to allow a piece of plaster to fall and not crush them.

DISCONTINUED

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