A/N: Guys Hacker's Memory is a lot of fun. Assuming you played the first Cyber Sleuth, anyway. Highly recommend both if you have the chance to play them, and as usual, hope you enjoy the chapter! Lame title this time, couldn't think of anything creative, so we've just got the episode title. Ah well.

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Kyubimon hit the ground with a sickening crack, taking far more damage from the collision than her opponent did. The dark Mega was back on his feet before his motorcycle even finished the mad spin that losing its rider had thrown it into, cursing the fox for daring to harm him.

Though her partner called out to her to digivolve, Kyubimon could barely find the strength to stand. Somehow she managed, leaping at Beelzemon with her Dragon Wheel attack. He dropped his shotguns in a cry of anguish as the attack burned at his hands and superheated the metal the weapons were made of, but Kyubimon fell once more, exhausted from her final effort.

Beelzemon stomped towards her, his claws outstretched. With a cry from Takato, Growlmon charged into the fray to save his companion, but Beelzemon changed targets, meeting the charge with one of his own. Just before the two collided, Beelzemon struck first, delivering a solid punch to Growlmon's jaw. Despite the size difference between them, Growlmon was tossed through the air like a ragdoll, helpless in the face of the added power Beelzemon's level advantage granted him.

With a sneer, Beelzemon turned back on Kyubimon, and Kou panicked. He tried to call out to Dorumon, but no words came. He cast his gaze around for his partner, but he was nowhere to be found.

Despite Kyubimon's pleas, Beelzemon held nothing back, driving his spiked boot into her side over and over. Rika's normally unbreakable composure shattered as she threw her cards to the ground, unable to find a single one that could save her best friend. Kou tried to call to her too, but once again, no words came. He tried to reach out to her, but he couldn't even see his own arm.

And then Beelzemon declared the end, raising his claws high into the air. Rapidmon lay motionless behind the tamers, unable to help. Guardromon tried to rally Growlmon, but they would be too late. And there was still no sign of Dorumon at all.

But as Beelzemon brought down the final blow, he was stopped all the same. A large, mighty hand fell on his shoulder and upper arm, gripping tightly and pulling him away. Leomon and his foe argued, briefly, before Beelzemon tried to shake him off. Leomon struck before he could, slamming his fist into the Mega's face once, then twice.

The force of the blows sent Beelzemon skidding backwards, but left no lasting damage. He simply stood there, seething with anger and hatred as Leomon lectured him on the meanings of power and strength. The mighty lion declared that Beelzemon would never hurt the children.

Beelzemon roared, and Kou's heart went cold.

A hero fell.

A girl screamed.

Kyubimon tried to rise, but was kicked down before she could even stand. Rapidmon tried too, but was brought low by his own injuries. Guardromon could do nothing, and Lopmon less than that.

There was still no Dorumon, so that left…

In desperation, Kou turned to his last hope, and the world shifted. Takato and Guilmon stood alone, side by side, surrounded by golden, swirling light. The light intensified, their forms moving closer to one another, and then…

###

Digital World, Junk Wasteland

Kou awoke with a start, nearly leaping out of his sleeping bag and clutching his head in his hands.

That dream again…!

Why he kept having it, he had no idea, but every time it was a little more vivid, and every time, more of it stayed with him after he woke. Already some of the details began to fade. As his eyes flickered open again, his gaze settled on Leomon, who was standing guard at the mouth of the cave they were camped in tonight.

He climbed out of his sleeping bag, trying to hang on to the one image that mattered. Placing a hand on the cave wall for guidance, he stumbled forward in the dark, trying not to step on anyone. In his hurry, he tripped over Kazu anyway, but he managed to keep himself from falling, and the other boy somehow slept through it. His only response was a sleepy groan about how it would take more than that to stop BlackWarKazumon.

Closer to the cave's exit, the moonlight provided more visibility, and Kou took his hand off the cave wall once he could trust his eyes. When he reached the outside, Leomon glanced down at him and raised an eyebrow. "A little early, isn't it?"

Looking back up at the champion, Kou began to feel silly. Leomon was so strong. How could he possibly be in danger, especially with Jeri at his back? The very notion seemed absurd.

I know what I saw, but… I've been wrong. The last time I was completely convinced about something happening, it almost got Takato and Guilmon killed trying to live up to it. What if I warn him, and… and that puts him in danger?

He bit his lip nervously, trying to decide what to do. He hadn't had one of his "predictions" since coming to the Digital World, and to be honest, he had almost forgotten about them. Besides the time with Indramon - when he had been wrong - they had never felt particularly strong, and they were so minor that he really felt Takato had been overdoing it when he named them. Between that, Dorumon's past coming back to haunt him, and his ending up all alone with Rika, of all the tamers, his little intuitive moments had been the last thing on his mind.

But then they met Beelzemon.

"I…" he started, but then paused a moment. "I… yeah, I guess it is. Woke up early."

Leomon wasn't fooled. "Something's bothering you. What is it?"

Kou blinked in surprise a moment, but then just sighed. No use denying it. Neither Matsuki had ever been very good at hiding their feelings. "I'm not sure if I should say."

"Oh? Why not?"

"How to put this…" Kou said quietly, careful not to wake the others. Jeri slept near the entrance, as close to her partner as possible, and he really didn't want to shake her newfound confidence by having her hear about his dream if she woke up. "I… back in our world, Takato seemed to think I had a kind of… sixth sense."

Leomon nodded. "Go on."

"I thought it was just his imagination getting the better of him. I mean, all I really did was, like… find Guilmon once, guess Yamaki's name, and… well, once I knew details about a dream he had before he told me about them, that one was actually weird…"

"So you're feeling that sense again."

Kou nodded. "Yeah. When we met Beelzemon, just looking at him made my head spin. It went beyond a mere feeling, I saw something. Like… like a vision." Leomon raised an eyebrow again, but didn't interrupt, even when Kou paused to let him. After a moment of silence, he continued. "As soon as the headache was gone, so was all memory of what I saw. But I've been having dreams since then, the same dream over and over actually. And I'm pretty sure it's the same thing."

"So, you think you're seeing the future."

"I… I don't know," Kou said, scratching at his head in frustration. "The only time my intuition told me something beyond a minor detail like someone's name, it was dead wrong. When we fought the horse Deva, I was completely convinced that Takato would be able to summon a Blue Card to matrix digivolve Growlmon. I told him so, but he was never able to do it, no matter how hard he tried. He and Growlmon almost died trying to listen to my advice."

Leomon hummed in thought, crossing his arms. "To my understanding, the Blue Cards come to you kids in response to a deep need and inner strength in your hearts. It's possible that putting him on the spot denied him the strength he needed, since the need came from outside, rather than from within."

Kou winced. "That's what I'm afraid of. That if I tell anyone what I'm seeing, it'll make things worse somehow."

Leomon regarded him for another moment, then turned his gaze back out to the desert. "I see. Tell me, what do you think of destiny?"

"Huh?" said Kou, confused by the sudden change in subject. "Well, um… I don't know."

"That's alright," replied Leomon, nodding. "But if I may, let me tell you what I think. During my many battles here in the Digital World, I've come to believe that all beings have their own destiny. A purpose that they live for, whether they realize it or not. I thought mine was to be forever alone, to wander, fight, and die a warrior, but…" He paused, looking back into the cave. His leonine face softened as his gaze fell on his partner. "I've realized my destiny instead lay with all of you. Jeri told me as much when we met, but I didn't believe her. Look at me now." He turned back to the desert, sliding down to the ground as he did so, leaning against the stone and stretching out his legs. "Destiny has a way of providing, if only you trust it. It just takes a little faith."

Kou wasn't sure what to make of that. Not only did it fly in the face of every shounen manga he'd ever read, but he wasn't entirely convinced that Leomon's destiny was to be trusted.

"I… I'm not so sure," he said, wrapping his arms around his chest to keep warm. "Don't we make our own destinies?"

"We can shape and direct them, yes," Leomon acknowledged. "But so does everyone we meet. Your brother has a hand in your destiny too, and so does Dorumon. On a more grim note, so do the Devas, and the Sovereign. There is so much out of your control that to believe you alone can change it would be the height of arrogance."

Kou pondered that, silently watching his own feet as he tried to wrap his head around what Leomon was saying. When he finally looked back up at the lion, he said, "I… don't understand. This is making my head spin."

"I'm probably not explaining it very well," admitted Leomon. "How to put it more clearly… hmm. Think of it as a river. A river flows in a predetermined path, one that cannot be changed by the boat that travels on it. The boat can steer from side to side, but it will always move the same direction. To change the path itself requires something greater - perhaps many people come together to build a dam in the way, or a freak storm changes the land around it - but even then, it will still lead to the ocean in the end."

"That makes a little more sense, I think," Kou replied with a nod. "So… you're saying what whether I tell you what I saw or not, it'll lead to the same place anyway?"

"Perhaps not immediately, but in the end, yes," Leomon confirmed. "You may have an influence, but in the end it is still out of your control. I don't know what your dream showed you, but trying to take responsibility for it would be too great a burden, and one you need not bear. Especially when it may not even actually be the future. And besides." He stopped and grinned. "I'll be careful. You may not realize it, but things have already left your control."

"E-Eh?" Kou stammered.

"You wouldn't have come to me if the dream wasn't about me," stated Leomon. "I'll take this conversation as an omen to be careful. And just like that, it's already out of your hands." The mighty lion stood again, turning to face the boy. "The sun will be up soon. Let's get ready to wake the others." He smiled and placed a hand on Kou's shoulder. "Have faith."

The sun turned on, and light washed over the desert. Leomon walked into the cave, kneeling next to Jeri and gently laying a hand on her side, whispering to her as she began to stir.

Faith, huh? Well… it worked with Rika, I guess.

His gaze flickered over towards the redhead as she sat up in her sleeping bag. She still had a drowsy look on her face and her hair was a mess. The beginnings of a smile tugged at the ends of his mouth before Renamon held out a paw to help her partner up, and the image of Kyubimon's battered, broken form flashed before his eyes.

He spun on his heels, turning his back to the cave and clenching his hands into fists.

So I can't do anything about that? Things will lead there… no matter what?

No. The boat could be steered, Leomon had said so.

Maybe… maybe it already has been. He figured out what I was hiding, so things should be different now, like they were with Indramon. And… that worked out. I guess that's what he means by destiny. I didn't try to change anything either time, but things just happened anyway.

He took a deep breath and looked up to the massive data sphere in the sky that represented his home.

Alright, Leomon. I trust you.

A wet nose pushing against his hand snapped him out of his thoughts, causing him to jerk his gaze back down as Guilmon pushed his head through his palm like a cat wanting to be petted.

"Good morning, Koukimon!"

Kou smiled back, scratching his brother's partner between the ears. "Morning, boy. Ready to get looking for Takato?"

Guilmon beamed, squirming in place as he tried and failed to contain his excitement. "Yeah!"

Another image flashed in front of Kou's eyes then, the final thing the dream had shown him. Takato and Guilmon, surrounded by light, filling his heart with hope.

If things go bad… I'm counting on you, Takato.

Just like Takato was probably counting on him, right now. He hoped they found the group's missing half soon.

Keep him safe, Dorumon.

###

Digital World, Subspace

"Are we going up?" asked Takato. "My ears are popping."

"Mizuno said the land of the Digimon Sovereign is above us," replied Henry. "Maybe we're going there.

"Hmm, maybe," said Takato. He was quiet for a few moments, then asked another question. "So, uh, how do we steer this thing?"

"I don't think we need to," Henry clarified. "It's probably guided by the digital space-time fabric."

Takato gave him a weird look, his face scrunching up in confusion. "Uh… huh. Nnngh, sometimes I miss the real world. At least I understand stuff there."

"I miss the pastries of the real world," Terriermon chimed in.

"On that we agree, Jestermon," Dorumon said with a sigh, a forlorn look on his face. "Oh, but it has been so long since I tasted bread…"

Henry chuckled and looked down at the two rookies. "Is there anything you miss that can't be found in a lunch box?"

"Well…" droned Terriermon, gazing down through the glass floor in thought. "I guess there's… Suzie?"

Henry's eyebrows shot up as he kneeled next to his partner, placing a hand on his forehead to check for a fever. Feeling none, he decided to take a jab at him instead. "Well, if you miss being Pwincess Pwetty Pants that much…" He slid his hands under Terriermon's ears, flopping them around and lifting him by the head. "And being cuddled…"

"Bwuh!" sputtered Terriermon, leaping away as his face contorted in disgust. "That's not funny! Thinking about still gives me the jeebies!" He turned away from Henry with a huff, crossing his arms and puffing out his cheeks.

"Well, so-rry!" laughed Henry. Takato started laughing too, and Dorumon snickered.

"Princess Pretty Pants?" repeated the rookie, a wicked grin growing on his face. "Oh, do share more, Sir Henry."

"Don't you dare, Henry!" said Terriermon.

Dorumon gave a dark chuckle. "Momentai, Jestermon."

Terriermon huffed again as another round of laughter came and went, then went back to looking out the window he stood on. "But… but still. Poor Suzie. I hope she's not lonely."

Henry rolled his eyes as he stood back up. "Please. She only has a million dolls to play with."

"Yeah, but they're not as cute as me," bragged Terriermon. "She said so."

"Oh, brother," said Henry. While Terriermon kept watching through the floor, he approached the window on the wall and watched their progress. He could tell they were moving, and could see when they took a sharp upwards turn, but it was next to impossible to tell how close they were to… wherever it was exactly that they were going. Outside the ship was seemingly endless expanse of swirling blue.

He heard some mumbling behind him, and a quick glance over his shoulder showed him Takato engaged in quiet conversation with Dorumon. Takato wasn't whispering nearly as quietly as he seemed to think he was, but Henry tuned him out, respecting the other boy's intent to keep the conversation private. It afforded him some time to think.

We've been floating through this… space for a while now. If it is taking us to the Sovereign, how much longer will it take? And will we be able to handle it if it's just us four?

He lifted his hand to his chin and frowned. They had learned a lot from Mizuno, but none of it was particularly helpful at the moment.

Well, unless… if the Sovereign really is trying to protect the Digital World, maybe we can just… talk to it. Azulongmon was pretty reasonable, in the show.

But he had no way of knowing if this Digimon was anything like Azulongmon. Besides, the DigiDestined were chosen by the Digital World, and he and Takato… weren't. He'd gotten Terriermon from a video game.

Takato's probably the closest we have to a TV show-style DigiDestined, since the Digi-Gnomes made his partner. But even then, none of us were chosen. We all chose. Maybe that's why the Sovereign hates us. We barged in instead of getting an invitation.

Still, it wasn't like any of their partners were their servants, or had been forced into anything. Leomon had taken convincing, but Terriermon came to him for help, Dorumon agreed to a request, and it was hard to imagine Guilmon anywhere but at Takato's side. Rika had never shared her story with him, but he remembered Renamon once saying that she had specifically sought the girl out, seeking the strongest tamer.

Hm. Maybe that means Rika's actually the closest we've got to the show.

He chuckled to himself, amused by the thought of the fiery tamer having to figure out a crest. Not because he didn't think she could do it - of all the tamers, she had changed the most from their early days - but because of how annoying she'd probably find it.

I wonder if she's even seen the show?

Terriermon suddenly gasped, his ears flying upwards and stretching out. Henry turned to his partner just as the little rabbit stammered, "T-That was Suzie!"

Henry's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, what did you say?"

"I just heard Suzie's voice!" said Terriermon, turning to him and looking him straight in the eyes.

"Are you sure?" asked Henry, unbelieving. How on earth could Terriermon have heard Suzie from here?

"Would these ears lie!?" retorted Terriermon. A determined look settled on his face as he gazed out the window Henry had been standing by. "She's close, too."

He's serious! Oh, this is not good…

"We have to get to her!" he exclaimed, clenching one of his hands into a fist as the full implications of Terriermon's claims started to hit him. Before he could start to dwell on it, the ship suddenly lurched, taking a hard left that nearly knocked the group of their feet.

Terriermon screamed, and Takato staggered out, "W-What's happening!?"

"Don't look at me, I didn't touch anything!" cried Terriermon. Luckily, within moments, the shaking had ceased and their path had steadied once again.

"Hey, this boat is totally going in a different direction," said Takato. "But why?"

"I wonder if… it changes direction depending on where we wanna go," speculated Henry, excitement creeping into his voice as the theory formed. If it was true, it was an encouraging development.

"Cool!" said Terriermon. "Then since we wanna see Suzie, all we have to do is wish for it, and this thing'll take us to her!"

"I guess," said Henry. "Yeah. It did change the moment I said we had to get to her."

"Yeah, but are you sure she's in the Digital World?" Takato asked Terriermon.

"Positive!" the rabbit insisted, turning from the two boys and back to the window. "And we better find her soon. I… I bet she's crying her little heart out!"

As worried as he was about his sister's well-being, Henry snickered. Terriermon was so convinced that Suzie needed them right this very second that he could just imagine the girl frolicking around with some poor Digimon she'd made into the next Princess Pretty Pants.

The ship continued on, and Henry tried to hold onto that image rather than let himself get too worked up. If she was in danger, then he had to stay calm, or he wouldn't be able to help her. Still, the longer they traveled, the more he started to worry.

Please stay out of sight if you're here, Suzie…

Takato placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Henry turned his head to face the gogglehead.

"It's hard, I know," said Takato. "Don't worry. We'll get to her."

Henry smiled back, taking comfort in knowing that his friend knew how he felt. "Thanks, Takato."

"Don't mention it," said Takato. "But I do hope we get there soon. I mean, at least Kou has Guilmon and the others with him, Suzie might be all alone."

Henry blinked, and Terriermon snickered. "Nice one, Takatomon. I'm sure that's exactly what Henry wanted to hear."

"A-Ah, sorry!" Takato quickly apologized. "I, ah… yeah, that was dumb, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," said Henry, sighing. "I appreciate the intent, Takato."

The gogglehead rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He opened his mouth to say something, when the ship suddenly lurched, rocking and shaking as if a wave had just broken over it. Snapping his attention back to the main window, Henry could see the front of the ship passing through a rippling blue portal, and the shimmering expanse around them gave way to a pinkish, crystalline desert.

Unfortunately, rather than coming out in a pool, or out of the ground, they seemed to be coming out in the sky, facing downwards, from a point only about ten feet above the ground.

Before anyone could grab onto anything, the front end of the ship crashed into the ground. Luckily, they were at just enough of an angle that the ship skidded along the surface rather than simply crumpling inwards, but all the occupants were still sent flying forward, crashing into the front of the ship themselves before it's momentum rolled them backwards again.

The ship continued to slide along the ground, throwing up dust and stray data, and Henry saw cracks appearing on the front window. They spread quickly, covering the entire interior of the craft as its data began to flake away, starting at the point of impact and spreading backwards until the ship completely vanished, dropping its passengers at the end of the long trail it had made.

"That was fun…" grumbled Takato as he struggled to his feet.

Henry began to rise as well, clutching a hand to his head, as the world was still spinning. He idly noted that he wasn't hurt. Maybe because the crash happened so quickly, he hadn't realized he was supposed to get hurt?

The world around him started to stabilize and he put the thought away for now. "No kidding. Where are we?"

"There's Suzie!" Terriermon cried, pointing down the impact trail. Henry's eyes widened and his heart filled with dread, immediately worrying that the ship had taken them directly to her - and right into her.

What he actually saw was only marginally better. Standing on opposite ends of the original impact crater were a pair of Digimon - one he recognized immediately, and another that looked only slightly familiar. On the left was Makuramon, his face contorted in anger as he shook a fist at the Digimon on the right, a tall, rabbit-like creature. Judging by the lettering on the towering Digimon's chest armor, he assumed it was also a Deva.

And Suzie stood behind it.

"What's the meaning of this!?" demanded Makuramon, pointing at the larger Deva. "You're going to be in big trouble, my friend!"

Henry was still rooted to the ground in shock and fear, but Terriermon dashed ahead without a second's hesitation. Raising his little paws to his mouth, he called, "Suzie!"

Suzie turned towards the voice and her eyes lit up with joy. Completely ignoring the brewing conflict in front of her, she sprinted towards the group, throwing her arms wide to give Princess Pretty Pants a big hug.

Makuramon leapt in front of her and she recoiled, grinding to a halt just in time to avoid embracing the monkey instead. He reached out to grab her, but the other Deva was quicker, appearing behind Suzie and swiping one of her massive arms down between Makuramon and his prey. The monkey leapt backwards into the air and cried in rage, "You'll pay!"

"Primal Orb!"

Makuramon produced a small white orb about the size of a baseball and threw it at the rabbit as hard as he could. What the attack lacked in flashiness, it apparently made up for in strength, as it slammed into the rabbit's head so hard it sent the towering Digimon crashing to the ground.

"Antylamon!" cried Suzie, running to the rabbit's side and placing her hands on its enormous shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Antylamon groaned in pain and rolled her head over to look at the girl's face. Her deep red eyes softened as they locked with Suzie's own.

"Please be… please be okay!" Suzie pleaded, burying her face in Antylamon's neck. Antylamon's gaze followed her, then her eyes widened and she leapt to her feet, spinning over and pushing Suzie away as gently as she could. Another Primal Orb crashed into the spot where her head and Suzie had been, and caused an explosion on impact before bouncing back to its master.

Antylamon leapt into the sky as the orb in Makuramon's hand ignited, bursting into flames. With another cry, he hurled it at her as hard as he could, but she dodged it in mid-air.

"That does it," she snarled, glancing over her shoulder at the flaming orb. It curved through the sky, coming back at her like a boomerang, leaving a trail of flames in its wake.

"Bunny Blades!"

Her arms blurred and shifted, a pair of massive, double-bladed axes taking the place of her hands. With two swift strikes, she destroyed the orb and blew away the flames. Finally landing back on the ground, she glared at Makuramon, axes at the ready.

"Gaaah… traitor!" growled the monkey, taking a step back in fear. "You'll rue the day you crossed me, I can promise you that!"

He turned and ran, leaping into the air and vanishing after only a few steps. Henry glanced around for signs of him, but after several tense moments, Antylamon sighed, and her arms blurred back into their natural state.

Safe enough for now, I guess. Now let's see who this Antylamon is.

Henry held up his D-Arc, hoping to uncover something, but it revealed nothing. "I can't get any data on that Digimon… let's see. The only Deva that's left is the rabbit, so…"

"A Deva!?" exclaimed Takato, his eyes widening in alarm. "We've gotta get Suzie out of there, now!"

At that exact moment, Suzie happily skipped up to Antylamon's side. "You were gweat! Weally!"

Despite having just seen Antylamon fighting to protect Suzie, Henry rushed forward, the other three at his heels.

We don't know why she was protecting her, she might have even more nefarious plans than Makuramon did!

At the back of the charging group, Henry heard Dorumon call something about being hasty, but he ignored it. If there was any chance his sister was in danger, he would not stand for it. "Suzie, no! Get away from there, it's dangerous!"

Showing absolutely no concern, Suzie looked up at Antylamon, a puzzled look on her face. "Hmm? Silly Hendwy. What's he talking about?"

Antylamon said nothing in reply, merely watching the girl. A faintly glowing orb of light appeared between them, around Antylamon's waist, and began to slowly descend towards Suzie.

"Ohhh!" she gaped, staring at the orb in wonder. It landed softly in her hands, and Henry pushed more strength into his legs, determined to get to her before it could hurt her somehow.

Who knows what that could do!? What if it's corrosive, or infects her with a virus, or…

He skidded to a halt only a few feet away, coming to a sudden realization - one it seemed like Takato had at the same time, since he stopped too.

"Wait a minute…" Henry said, eyes widening at the orb in equal parts amazement and horror. "This can't be happening!"

"What a pretty ball!" chimed Suzie, holding it over her head. The light faded, leaving behind a device - a white D-Arc, with a pink rim and strap. Suzie gasped in awe. "Woooow!"

"...unreal," said Takato, perfectly capturing Henry's own feelings about the situation. Nevertheless, the blue-haired boy found his own words.

"Suzie's a tamer?" he asked no one, incredulous. "To a Deva?"

Suzie turned her D-Arc over in her hands several times, shaking it a little and looking into its screen. "What is this?"

Then the sky suddenly flashed red, and a massive crimson beam shot from the distance and landed on Antylamon, completely engulfing her. Suzie cried out for her, but no answer came from within the red stream of data. Henry could only stare as his sister's partner was obliterated by… whatever this thing was.

Except… she wasn't deleted.

Henry blinked, and Antylamon was gone, replaced with a small silhouette - a very familiar silhouette. He glanced down at Terriermon to make sure he was still there, and found his partner staring back, looking absolutely flabbergasted by whatever was going on. Henry imagined he looked the same.

"I think we're in for another surprise…" he said, looking back to the beam as its light faded away. When it was gone, a new Digimon was left floating in the air. It was nearly identical to Terriermon, but brown where he was white, pink where he was green, and it had three horns on its head, not just one.

"B-Bwaaah!" cried Terriermon, horrified.

"A-Another one?" gasped Dorumon, sounding as if all hope had left the world.

Gravity took hold on the new Digimon, dropping her to the ground, but she managed to land on her little feet. "Boy, did that feel weird."

"Check it out," said Henry, trying his D-Arc again now that Suzie's partner was presumably a rookie. "Lopmon. Rookie level. Data beast type Digimon. She's little, but has a big special attack: Blazing Ice."

Terriermon approached Lopmon and lifted his ears; Lopmon gasped and did the same. He tilted his head to the side, and she mirrored it, apparently confused. "You look like a chocolate-flavored me! But with two more horns, it's freaky…"

They continued examining and mirroring each other, seemingly equally puzzled by their resemblance, until Suzie snatched Lopmon up from behind, locking her in a vice-like embrace. Lopmon's eyes bulged and her face scrunched as she struggled to breathe. "At last, I have a bunny of my own!"

Terriermon fell back several cautious steps, one of his eyes twitching as he laughed nervously. As scared as he was for Suzie, Terriermon's reaction still made Henry smile.

"To love, and hug, and take such good care of!" Suzie continued, hugging Lopmon so tightly she lost her balance and fell face first onto the ground, crushing the poor rookie beneath her. She rolled off not a moment later, crying out. "Owie, that hurt!"

"You can say that again…" Lopmon grumbled, face still in the dirt.

###

Digital World, Junk Wasteland

When they had set out at dawn, it had been blisteringly hot. When they had stopped for a break halfway through the morning, it had been blisteringly hot. And now, at noon, when they stopped again, guess what?

It was still blisteringly hot.

But aside from a few offhand remarks to Kyubimon about how she wished they were still in the forest, Rika tried not to complain. Dumb and dumber had that covered.

Really, if I was going to complain about anything, it would be that dumber actually got a partner.

She actually kind of liked Guardromon, but his presence definitely wasn't having a positive effect on Kazu's ego.

"Do we have to stop?" whined Guilmon. "We still haven't found Takato…"

Rika felt her eyebrow twitch. As bad as Kazu and Kenta were, at least they weren't the broken record Guilmon had been all morning. Not that she could entirely blame the poor rookie, but she was certain Dorumon wouldn't have been so whiny if they had him and Takato instead of Guilmon and Kou.

"I know how you feel, Guilmon, but not all of us have your stamina," said Kou, trying to comfort the dinosaur. "We'll find him and the others, but we have to rest first."

"Okay," said Guilmon, his ears drooping. Kou gave him a smile and patted him on the head.

Watching the scene, Rika frowned. Guilmon had made his worries known from the moment the data streams had taken Takato and Henry several days ago, getting progressively louder and more repetitive each day. Kou had been the opposite, getting quieter and quieter without something else to draw his attention, like the Orochimon situation. Yesterday he'd made a bit of small talk, but his words to Guilmon just now were the first she'd heard from him today since "good morning."

They're both taking this hard. I hope we find the others soon.

The group settled down in a large circle in the shade of a giant rock, and Rika leaned against Kyubimon's side, rather than rely on the hard stone.

"Everything alright, Rika?" the fox asked softly, too quiet for the others to hear.

Rika scratched her head. "Just worried about those two. And about Henry, too. If Takato's as much of a mess as they are, I hope he's doing alright looking after them."

"I am sure they are fine," Kyubimon said. "Takato is awkward at times, but from what I have seen, he always finds hidden strength in times of adversity. It is what makes him a good leader. I doubt he is any burden on Henry."

"Pffft, Takato, our leader?" she laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Since when?"

"Well, are you saying that you're the leader, then?" asked Kazu, causing Rika to blink in surprise.

Oops. Must have laughed a little too loud…

Jeri leapt to Rika's defense almost immediately. "Well, she is kind of leading his half of the group. And I think she's doing a good job."

"Well she's not doing a bad job," said Kenta. Rika narrowed her eyes.

"She's right here you know," she said.

"Well what does she think then?" jabbed Kazu.

"Well, uh…" Rika started, but trailed off, honestly unsure of how to answer. While the notion of Takato being the leader seemed ridiculous, she sure didn't feel like one, even if she had fallen into the role for now. "I don't know. I don't think I'm really "leader" material, and I don't disagree about Takato pulling through when it's tough, but… really? I think calling him our leader is taking it a bit too far."

"Henry, then?" asked Kenta. Rika thought about agreeing with that, since he easily had the best head on his shoulders.

Hmm… nah, he doesn't quite fit either. He's probably the best decision maker, but… I don't know, he can't really get everyone all fired up. That's kind of important.

Rika shook her head, and Kazu and Kenta both shrugged.

"Maybe it's you then, Kou," said Jeri, smiling brightly at the boy. He blinked, then pulled his hat over his eyes.

"N-Nah," he said. "I'd vote Rika or Takato."

"Why's that?" Rika asked, curious to hear his answer, and also trying to just get him talking again.

"Well, you always seem to know what to do," he replied, glancing briefly in her direction, but mostly watching the ground as he drew in the sand with a finger. "And you usually have good ideas, and even if people get on your nerves, you still try to help them without hesitation. You make quick decisions, and that's good. Plus, you and Kyubimon always seem to be on the same wavelength, which sets a good example for everyone else. And, um, let's see..."

Rika blinked several times as she felt her face begin to heat up in response to the string of praise. She hadn't realized he thought so highly of her. Once upon a time, she'd have swelled with pride, but some of his comments, especially the one about Kyubimon, just made her remember how she had been before finally learning to play nice. Even if his statements were true these days, she felt she was still working on being that way.

"I'm not so sure about all that," she said. "And besides, don't sell yourself short. You're creative and not afraid to speak your mind. Those are good traits."

"But not necessarily the makings of a leader," said Kou. "I dunno. I think Henry and I are the supporters, and you and Takato are the leads. We just try and steer you two in the right direction when you go charging ahead."

"Well gee, what are Jeri and I, chopped liver?" said Kazu.

"I believe you are human, Kazu," said Guardromon knowingly, holding up a finger. Kazu glanced back at his partner and narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, I got that, pal."

Jeri giggled. "We're new, Kazu. Those four have been at this a little longer than us."

"By that logic, Ryo's the boss man," said Kazu, crossing his arms and nodding.

"Oh, for the love of…" Rika groaned. "He's not even one of us. I don't think I'm a leader, but I'm a better one than him for sure. At least I'm here."

"Well, Ryo is pretty cool, but… I kind of agree with Kyubimon and Kou," said Kenta, causing Kazu to gape at him in shock.

"Whaaat? You think Rika's in charge?"

"No, I meant Takato," said the bespectacled boy. "I mean, he was the one that first said we needed to come here, right? And we all followed him."

Kou nodded. "Sure was."

"And Kyubimon's not kidding about that hidden strength thing, either," Kenta continued. "Remember that time in third grade with Hitoshi?"

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Who's Hitoshi?"

"A classmate of ours," explained Jeri, frowning. "He's not very nice."

"Yeah, Chumley sure showed him who's boss!" laughed Kazu. "In his own special, Chumley way."

Kou smiled wide. "Sure did."

"Alright, I'll bite. What happened?" said Rika.

Kazu gave her a disbelieving look. "C'mon, surely you heard-"

"I don't go to your school, remember?" groaned Rika, glaring at him. He blinked, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, saying no more.

Ugh.

"I was actually out sick that day," said Jeri, looking between Kenta and Kou. "I didn't see it."

"Well, Hitoshi was being his usual self during lunch," said Kenta, pushing up his glasses. "Stole my lunch for no reason and started eating it right in front of me. Had a few of his friends hold me back and steal my glasses. It wasn't a very good day."

Rika eyed Kazu. "Where were you?"

Kazu narrowed his eyes at her. "In the bathroom. Hitoshi knew better than to pick on Kenta with me around."

"More like he didn't want to get in trouble for fighting with you again," said Kou.

"Anyway," interrupted Kenta, "He and his two cronies were enjoying my mom's sushi when Takato, who I barely knew at the time, went and slammed his hands down on his desk, stood up, and stomped over to us, getting right up in Hitoshi's face."

"I tried to hold him back, since I didn't want him to get hurt, but he just shook me off," added Kou.

"He had the goofiest look on his face," said Kenta. "Like, he was trying to look as scary as he could, but, you know… he's Takato."

"I was terrified he was going to punch him anyway, though," said Kou. "Kenta wasn't Hitoshi's only target, just his latest one. He and his two pals had messed with all the guys at some point, and most of the girls, too. We tried to get our parents to talk to the school about him once, but it never went anywhere."

Rika was shocked. "Wait, he didn't deck this clown? Why the heck not?"

"Did something even better," Kou said, smiling.

"I got into scrapes with Hitoshi a lot, but that just got us both in trouble," said Kazu. "And no one would try and help since they didn't wanna get hit too."

"So what did he do then?" asked Rika.

"Told him to stop being a jerk," replied Kenta. Rika watched him, waiting for him to continue, but he said nothing else.

"You're kidding," said Rika. "That's it?"

Kenta nodded. "That's it."

"And this Hitoshi guy didn't just laugh and push him over?" she asked, incredulous.

"That's exactly what he did," said Kou. "Then Takato just got up and told him to stop again."

"Which got him another trip to the floor," said Kenta. "But then Ayaka stood up."

"And then Yutaka," said Kou.

"Then Kou," said Kenta.

"And by the time I walked back in, pretty much everyone had gotten out of their seats and was just glaring at Hitoshi," said Kazu. "Kenta's seat was right in the middle of the room, so he and his pals were completely surrounded. So Chumley climbs back to his feet, gives Hitoshi the biggest I dare you to hit me again look I've ever seen, and tells him one more time to stop it."

"But that was when the teacher got back from her office, and Hitoshi covered himself by handing Kenta his lunch and glasses and acting like Kenta had dropped them," said Kou. "But halfway through the next class he faked being sick so he could go home. And aside from a few snide remarks here and there, he hasn't been nearly as bad since."

"That's the cheesiest story I've ever heard," said Rika.

Jeri giggled. "But that's Takato, isn't it?"

Rika thought about that for a moment. As silly as the story seemed, it was totally something she could see Gogglehead doing, bumbling his way through a conflict and somehow inspiring everyone around him to do the same. She pictured herself being there, watching this stupid kid get knocked down over and over, and it made her want to stand up, too.

"Alright," she admitted. "I guess I can see how Gogglehead qualifies."

Kazu nodded. "Yeah, he can be surprising sometimes. I still think Ryo would make the best leader though."

Rika groaned. Somehow, she didn't think this conversation would end anytime soon.

"Apologies, Rika," said Kyubimon softly. "I did not mean to start… this."

"It's fine, Kyubimon," she whispered back as the other kids continued to debate the best leader. Kazu continued to vouch for Ryo, but it looked like Takato carried the vote for the other three, even Kenta. Kou smiled and laughed as Kazu shook his head and called them all idiots, and Rika felt the ends of her lips curling up slightly as well.

Guilmon, who had been watching the storytellers intently, suddenly screamed "Yaaaay, Takato!" as his absent partner won the vote, dancing around and flapping his arms excitedly. Rika laughed with everyone else at the show, and said to Kyubimon, "Worth it, to get everyone to cheer up for a second."

"They aren't complaining anymore, it's true," said her partner. "Perhaps you're the leader, after all."

Rika rolled her eyes. "Not you too, Kyubimon…"

A/N: Special dedication on this one to Miss Anonymous hp, one of my best and oldest friends I met on this site, both for providing me with Leomon's river analogy and for being an all around great friend. Thank you for being there for me for all these years :)

I hope you all enjoyed this one! Got to add on a bit more than the past few, which is always fun. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time.