Don't, won't, and shant own digimon (or The Fray's song Trust Me because I love them and feel like I subconsciously stole the last line from that song).

Summary: The Digidestined have kept the Digital World a secret for years but will one nosy investigator and a blue pill be their demise? The children are slowly losing their memory of the Digital world while the latest evil rises up. Join them in a race against the clock, as they spend their last few weeks as digidestined fighting for digimon, humans, and their minds.

Rated T for themes like death and possibly some swearing. I really just gave it a high rating, so I was free to write whatever I wanted.

Includes Sorato and some minor Takari (most often just friendship). Also some Koumi if you squint really hard and tilt your head 90 degrees to the left.

Prologue

"Good morning, Odaiba! This is Channel Nine News. Here's Kimiko with an update on the recent monster attacks."

"Thanks, Ko.

"Investigators have been under way trying to dig up any information they can on these monsters. When fur, scales, or metal these creatures have left on the scene is scanned it registers as a computer code as opposed to a string of DNA. This has left researchers baffled on what to make of this.

"Although no one in Japan has come forward, children from all around the world have claimed these monsters came out of their computer from another world and are not trying to harm us, but I'd tell that to the millions of dollars in damages they're at fault for.

"Some of our very own citizens have listened to them and attempted to befriend them, but many have ended up injured and hospitalized from getting in the way of their rampages. Others have tried to contact this other world through use of a back door on their computer or even contacting it as though it were a spirit through Ouija boards or meditation , but our researchers are still hard at work to bring us solid answers.

"Monster attacks have continued to pop up all around the world causing bystanders to panic, but the Japanese government has assured us that everything is under control. Here's an exclusive interview with the Prime Minister that you won't hear anywhere else."

Tai angrily pushed down the button to turn the TV off. "They're not attacking anyone," he growled. "People are just too stupid to move."

Tai was sick of everyone talking about the "monster attacks" like they had a choice. There were new digidestined pouring into the Digital World by the boat load, and it wasn't the Digimon's fault they had to find somewhere to live. He thought it sounded great at first that the portal between worlds was widening. He'd get to see Agumon and the others all the time, but now he wasn't so sure how great this was. Everyone was panicking, and the Digimon were shown as horrible creatures that were sent to wreak havoc. All people could talk about was these awful attacks, and Tai was tired of smiling and playing dumb when all he wanted to do was defend the world and Digimon he had grown to love.

"Hey, looks who's up before noon!" Kari joked as she walked into the family room, Gatomon by her side, to find Tai slumped on the couch. "Are you ready to go?"

He sprung out of his seat. "Yeah, let's get out of here. Everyone's gone crazy."

"Have you been watching the news again?" Concern shone in her red-tinted eyes.

"Hey, I have to keep up to date," he defended. "Come on, they're probably all waiting for us."

She looked to the clock hanging by the door. "It's only 9:00. You said we had to be there at 9:30."

"I only said that because I didn't want you waking me up earlier than I had to get up. You may take an hour for your hair, but I don't."

"Well, that's obvious," Gatomon teased.

"Hey!"

The siblings and Gatomon headed out of the apartment. The walk to the middle school was only a few blocks, so they traveled without urgency knowing their friends would already expect them to be late.

Kari let her mind wander as she treaded along the familiar path on a comfortable spring morning. Countless times she walked this way, for school, for an emergency trip to the Digital World, in rain, snow, and sunshine. She was glad at least this was constant in the ever-changing world around her.

She felt horrible about all of the trouble the Digimon were causing. She knew they didn't mean it. Like when Agumon and Parrotmon fought all those years ago, they didn't know what they were doing. She wished everyone could see that, and the two worlds could learn to live side by side, but maybe that dream was still too far away.

"Kari, watch out!"

Her brother pushed her towards the street just as she felt something sharp graze her arm. Luckily it only cut through her jacket sleeve. She looked up to see a Kuwagamon circling around for another go.

Thinking fast, Kari looked to Gatomon. "Ready for some action?"

The cat digimon smirked. "And I thought it was getting boring around here."

Kari swiftly took the digivice from the side pocket of her backpack and called, "Gatomon, digivolve!"

In a flashy explosion of light that lasted merely a second, the cat transformed into an angel just as Kuwagamon rushed at them.

"Celestial arrow!" Angewomon shot out an arrow from her gloved hand that zigged directly for Kuwagamon.

It didn't even try to evade the attack as it shot him right through his wide hanging moth. It shrieked in pain before flying jaggedly over some buildings and retreating.

Angewomon promptly digivolved back to Gatomon shaking her head in disappointment. "Weakling. None of the fun digimon came to the Human world."

"Kari," Tai got his sister's attention and gestured to the surrounding crowd, some staring at Gatomon, some at her, a couple still screaming, and many whispering.

"Uh-oh." Honestly, she hadn't noticed any of them through the ordeal.

A rather large man who had been in the center of the whispering stepped forward and boldly glared down at Kari. "Are you one of them?"

"One of w-what?" She stuttered trying to meet the man's eyes.

He scowled. "You're with those monsters! That cat, er-angel, is one of them!"

Eyes switched from Kari to Gatomon. "Uh… meow?"

The whispers in the crowd grew louder. A few reached Kari's ears.

"It looks like a normal cat…"

"How did it do that?"

"The girl told the cat to transform!"

"But how? Magic?"

"She must be a witch!"

"A demon!"

"She's a monster!"

The man's scowl turned into a demonic smirk. "Hear that? You're just like them- a monster."

Tai pulled his sister back and stepped up to the man, standing tall but still looking like a child next to him. "You can't talk to my sister like that!"

He leaned down, spitting into Tai's face as the taunting words came out, "What are you gonna do about it?"

Matt, Izzy, Sora, Joe, TK, and Patamon sat around the middle school's computer room waiting for the Kamiyas to finally arrive.

"Are you sure they're coming?" Izzy asked no one in particular for the umpteenth time.

"Yes!" Matt answered exasperatedly from his position lounging in the corner of the computer room with his feet on the edge of a table. "Izzy, could you stop. It's fine. Tai's always late."

Izzy turned to face Matt. Impatience shone in his every movement. "Today is not the day to be late! I'm sure Gennai has called us about everything that's been going on with Digimon in the Real World."

TK frowned from his spot by the door. "Then how come he wouldn't ask the 02 kids to come? They could help."

"I don't know, and I won't know until Tai and Kari get here."

As if on cue, frantic footsteps and then a series of loud thumps on the door came.

TK went to open the door. Izzy coughed and gave him a pointed look. "I know what to do," TK assured. He called, "Digi, digi?"

"Mon, mon!" growled Tai causing TK to jump at the aggressive response. He unlocked the door and the Kamiyas came bursting in followed by Gatomon who promptly slammed and locked the door.

"So what's the excuse this time?" Sora asked casually waiting for Tai's latest exaggerated story.

"No time," Tai panted as Kari already made to open the digi-port on the computer.

"Did something happen?" Sora asked now sounding concerned.

"Big crowd, Gatomon digivolved, big guy, I hit him, he chased us, crowd followed, we go now!" Tai recapped quickly still trying to compose himself.

Matt put a finger to his chin. He was extremely calm compared to Tai. "Did you think he'd get amnesia and forget about Gatomon?"

"No," Tai spat, annoyed that Matt couldn't tell how urgent it was they got out of here. "I had a reason, but he and the crowd are going to get here, and Kari and I can't be here."

Kari held up her digivice looking around the room to the others. "Everyone ready?"

There were a few nods as they all crowded around the computer with digivices out.

"Digi-port open!"

A bright, pale blue light burst from the computer screen and then receded back taking them all with it. Mere moments later, they were being catapulted onto a grassy terrain into a messy pile.

"Please get your foot out of my face, Tai."

"I can't until TK gets off of me."

"Matt, your hair is in my face."

"Stop breathing on my hair!"

"Would all of you get off? This can't be good for my rib cage."

They eventually untangled themselves leaving Joe to get up last delicately unbending his arching back. "Izzy, why is it you know everything about the Digital World and never bothered to figure out how to make us land on our feet?"

"Save that for the cats," Gatomon purred standing upright and having a bemused look from watching the humans.

"I see you've finally arrived," a voice called from on top of the nearby grassy hill.

"Gennai!" Izzy called back as they all made their way towards him. "I apologize for being late. I hope we didn't keep you waiting for too long."

"No, not at all. We still have plenty of time left, and Mimi still has to arrive through a portal from America."

"Time left?" TK chuckled. "Is there some sort of a time limit?"

Gennai didn't meet the boy's eyes. "I'll explain everything."

The digidestined settled into a loose circle around Gennai. Tai, nearest to Gennai, was still a bit ruffled up by the morning's ordeal. Were digimon really that bad that people would automatically accuse his sister of being a monster, even a demon, for being involved with them?

To Tai's left was TK, propped up on his knees with one hand robotically stroking Patamon, waiting earnestly for what Gennai had to say and the reason the rest of his team weren't invited.

Next was Joe, checking his watch every few moments. Even though it was Saturday, he had a class to get to by 9:30. It actually started at 10:00, but Joe didn't want to have to deal with the possibility of being late.

Beside him, Kari leaned back onto her elbows still trying to grip onto what happened. The whole thing was outrageous. That man scared her more than an army of Flymon, but she still didn't think Tai should've hurt him. He didn't understand that Gatomon was different from the digimon that had been on the news.

Then came Sora, sitting close to Matt and whispering something about how Gennai must want them to come out and speak on behalf of the digimon. Up until then, they had all decided it was best to stay away from the media.

Matt leaned back listening to her prediction before suggesting that they could simply be asked to round up the digimon and let the world forget this ever happened.

Last in the circle was Izzy unable to sit still. He wanted information that he'd been deprived of for far too long. Would Mimi just hurry up?

Once Mimi arrived, with a quick explanation of being held up at the mall, and took a spot on the end next to Izzy, Gennai began.

"Now, where should I begin-"

"Wait," Mimi cut in. "Where's Yolei?"

"And Davis, Cody, and Ken?" TK added.

If TK wasn't mistaken, Gennai's demeanor became darker, colder. "They won't be joining us anymore."

Kari furrowed her brow. "Do you mean ever?"

Gennai sounded cold and robotic, like the friendly, old man thing was all a façade. "Let me explain.

"As I'm sure you have all noticed, the digimon have taken full advantage of the open portal between your world and mine. This has become a problem since the majorities of humans are uneducated on our kind and have turned them into some spectacle instead of just accepting them for what they are."

"I'll say," Tai muttered.

"In addition to that, the new digidestined popping up haven't been helpful. They don't understand their responsibilities and have been abusing their digimons' power."

"Like the village of Koromon that an American digidestined nearly destroyed," Sora said.

"That took us nearly three weeks to rebuild," Matt added bitterly.

"And three Koromon were injured," Kari remarked sadly.

"Yes, yes, can I finish?" Gennai silenced everyone and continued, "Because of all of this, the sovereigns of the Digital World, Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon, Ebonwumon, and Baihumon, have decided to cut off connections between the Human and Digital Worlds. The memories of everyone on Earth are being erased as we speak, so they have no recollection of the Digimon.

"But saying that, the Digital World still needs to be able to acquire help from an outside force when needed, so the eight of you have been brought here so you won't be present in your world for the memory wipe. Now I'm done."

Held in cries of protest came from all of them before they finally settled on speaking one at a time.

"Gennai, they can't do that!" Tai yelped.

"And why not?" The elder remained calm and collected as the surrounding children grew agitated.

"Because, I mean, we don't get a say? It's our world."

"I'm just doing what is necessary for my world."

Kari cut in, "Are they erasing the minds of everyone in the Real World right now?"

He nodded solemnly.

"But what about the 02 digidestined? They didn't do anything!"

"They were unnecessary and easily disposable. You all are the only defenders of the Digital World needed."

TK looked outraged. "Unnecessary? They saved your world a few months ago if you haven't forgotten."

An almost twisted smile appeared on Gennai's face. "No, I haven't forgotten, but they will."

Sora spoke up, "Gennai, please, have you really thought about this? How do you expect us to come here and defend the Digital World if no one back home can know about it?"

"It'll have to be kept a secret, a secret you must keep for your lives and the life of the Digital World depend on it."

Izzy, who had previously been listening and thinking over the information, looked to Gennai. "What problems are there still in the Digital World that would need our assistance?"

"Oh, it's always something. Now, the memory wipe should be completed by now, so you can all return except for you, Izzy; I need to speak with you."

No one made to move. They all sat in a daze or glaring up at Gennai.

The man sighed. "Don't worry. This is for the best. When you're older, you will understand."

So a few notes...

This is only the prologue which takes place a few months after 02, but the actual story takes place four years after. The story is also formatted into a 5 week period (each chapter is a day).

The Real World and The Human World are the same thing. I recall (pardon if I'm mistaken) that some characters in the dub, like Kari, called Earth the "Real World" which I found funny because the Digital World is supposed to be just as real as the human world.

Gennai's pretty OOC and will be for the whole story.

I got the idea for writing this after imagining a scene where TK knew about the Digital World, but Ken didn't. I've posted that scene as a seperate one-shot called Help. I'm really looking forward to writing this and will be following through with it 'til the very end!

Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!