A/N: Hello all! This is my first fanfiction ever, featuring a drastic rewrite of Digimon Savers with lots of OCs. I was inspired to write this after being left unsatisfied with the lack of character development in the canon series. Important themes from the show such as the (im)possibility of world peace, parental abandonment and replacement, and human nature will be expanded upon.

With the exception of Kudamon, canon characters will appear in the next chapter. Also note that Ikuto (aka Keenan) will NOT appear in this story, as his role and character was unnecessary for my plot.

Extended synopsis: Despite the large numbers of OCs present, my main priority for this story is to develop the canon characters in ways that were not fully touched upon in the original story. In addition to the "Big Three" of Masaru, Touma, and Yoshino, thought will also be given to the backstories and development of their Digimon partners, the secondary characters at DATS, and even some of the antagonists. Finally, any character developments for my OCs will be juxtaposed with the development of canon characters (I hope).

Rated T for eventual violence, death, and sensitive topics dealing with trust and identity, if you know what I mean. In regards to the 6/4 Incident referenced at the beginning of the story, I mean no disrespect to those who have died and suffered on and since that day. Although the contents of this prologue may seem insignificant to the plot of the story, I assure you that this prologue will eventually make sense both plot-wise and tone-wise.

Lots of thanks and love to my brilliant sister for wasting countless hours proof-reading my grammar, diction, etc... and offering suggestions.

(UPDATE: My sister has finally decided to reveal her identity on FF to me. Her FF ID is nettaigyo, and she has several amazing stories about Yugioh 5D posted on her profile. I highly recommend that my readers check them out)

Disclaimer: Digimon Savers is the property of Toei Animation. I do not own anything except my OCs.

1989 June 4, Beijing, China

A loud horn blasted through the air for a good minute or so, and then there was silence for the first time that night.

"Oneesama! It's dangerous for us to stay here any longer!"

Long and curly dark hair moved slightly in surprise, but the owner of that pitch-black hair never averted her eyes away from the sight in front of her. The Gate of Heavenly Peace burned with the bloody corpses of people strewn around and left behind as green tanks rolled away into the distance.

The speaker, a small fifteen year old boy, slowed down when he saw his sister... and what she was staring blankly yet.

"She's not responding, Sakurano-kun" The boy was startled by the sudden voice coming from beneath him. Glancing down, he saw a white ferret-like creature with golden markings all over its body. "Not matter how many times you see it, death is always a shock, isn't it?" the creature asked the boy as it wagged its tail. The golden bell at the end of its tail chimed softly.

"Kudamon, you shouldn't be here!" the boy exclaimed as he quickly swept the creature into the safety of his arms. "I thought I told you to stay back at the shack!" he scolded the ferret.

Kudamon just swung his tail back and forth in a calm matter. "The mice were quite bothersome," the creature finally replied matter-of-factly. Then, sheepishly he added: "And… I was worried about you and Sakurano-san, Sakurano-kun. After-all, Patamon and I made a vow to always watch over the two of you."

"Kudamon…" the boy said quietly. Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, Kudamon leapt out of his arms and scurried towards his sister and Patamon.

It took the boy a moment to get over his surprise. "Kudamon, wait for me!" he finally cried out, and ran after the creature.

"Manami, your otouto is right," an orange creature greatly resembling a hamster with wings said. The creature flinched as a single gunshot rang out in the distance. "The soldiers will eventually return. If they find us…" The creature flinched again as another shot was heard.

"How could they?!" Manami blurted out angrily. "Those people were the same…they were the same age…!" Manami was so angry that she could not even finish her sentence. Nevertheless, she managed to pull herself to her feet. She looked around at the burning hell surrounding her, and came to a decision. "I won't show them any mercy!" Manami decided. "Patamon, let's go!" she ordered, and turned to her companion.

"No, Manami, you are not ready!" Patamon protested fiercely, "The hate and anger in your heart; you must deal with them first!"

The dark-haired girl whirled around and glared at the creature. "Why?! Why are you defending those murderers?! We're doing this for the students, and for those who are weak and unable to defend themselves! Isn't that the right thing for us to do?!"

Patamon sighed heavily. "Is that really your motive, or is it just an excuse?" he finally asked quietly.

The young woman stared at the creature. "What do you mean?" she asked him quietly.

Patamon did not reply.

"ONEESAMA!" A single shout broke the tense atmosphere. Manami and Patamon turned towards the sound. A boy and his companion was running towards them.

"Mamoru, Kudamon, go away!" Manami shouted at her younger brother and the creature. "It's dangerous here!" she added, just as a PLA soldier emerged from the flames behind her younger brother.

In the red night, Manami saw the blank face of the soldier. The emptiness in his eyes told her so much more than any words could.

'Death…' Manami realized. 'This is Death I am seeing.'

The soldier raised the barrel of his rifle and pointed it at her brother, her otouto. Manami gasped. Mamoru was the only family she had left. Fright and panic engulfed her. She had to save him. She just had to...because...because...

The soldier pulled the trigger.

"Mamoru!" Manami screamed, just as a warm but familiar feeling burst forth from her heart…

Mamoru slipped and fell on his stomach as the flying bullet barely missed his head. "This light!" he gasped, staring at the warm white light coming from his sister and Patamon.

"This is…?!" Kudamon stopped in his tracks. "This light is…the light of evolution!" he realized.

Patamon not only saw the light, but he also felt it with all his heart and soul.

"This is the light of an angel!" Patamon exclaimed joyously as he leapt towards the soldier. A new power was burning inside the creature's small body, a new power of hope and light:

"Patamon evolve to…Angemon!"

A majestic male angel adorned in blue and white robes emerged from the light in a gust of white feathers. The upper part of his holy face was concealed by a silver helmet and in his right hand he held a golden scepter.

"I am Angemon, a servant of God!" the creature's voice rang out for all to hear, "With his light and power in me, I will deliver justice!"

"Patamon…is that really you?" Manami finally managed to squeak out. At her voice, the angel turned his head towards her.

"Manami, it was your sincerity and your love for your younger brother that allowed me to evolve," the holy creature said in a gentle but firm voice. "Arigatou, my hikari."

"Love..." Manami repeated.

Meanwhile, Angemon had turned his attention back to Mamoru, Kudamon, and the surprised PLA soldier still standing behind them.

"God will protect the innocent! Evil will not touch them!" Angemon declared as he raised the golden scepter high above his head. "Understand this, remember this, and be free of the darkness within you, Human!"

Mamoru gasped in awe as the scepter began to glow brilliantly, emitting bright rays of light everywhere. Behind the boy, the soldier's blank face gave way to fear.

"Holy Rod!" The angel shouted, and then there was light.

Manami opened her eyes to yet another bloody scene.

"He..." The woman began, but stopped herself. 'Words don't mean anything anymore,' she realized, staring at the soldier's limp body and the blood that was oozing from his temple. Mamoru and Kudamon were also staring at the body. The sadness in her younger brother's face was threatening to overshadow his fear.

"Manami…" The woman slowly turned around and even more slowly picked up an exhausted Patamon.

"Why, Patamon? Why did you kill him?" Manami asked quietly as she cradled the creature in her arms.

"I didn't, Manami. The human killed himself," came Patamon's soft and sad reply.

"He committed suicide?" Manami whispered to herself. She turned back towards the dead soldier and noticed that the gun was still in his hand. "Why?" she asked the corpse, knowing full well that she would never receive an answer.

They were suddenly surrounded by a dozen PLA soldiers in their dark green uniforms. The soldiers all had their guns trained at Mamoru. Fear had never caught Manami so off guard. She wanted to run and to defend her brother, but fear had already paralyzed her.

One of the soldiers was shouting at him. The soldier had a thick local Beijing dialect, and Mamoru was having a hard time processing his words. However, Masaru knew that he was being accused of killing the soldier in front of him.

Mamoru knew that he was going to die. Surprising even himself, he realized that he was no longer afraid of death. 'For a murder that I didn't even commit, I'm going to die right here, right here in front of my sister...' the teenager realized. 'Oneesama…'

The soldiers raised the barrels of their guns…

'We live in an unjust world…don't we?'

And then…

"Zekkoushou!" A curtain of bright light rained down between the boy and the soldiers. Mamoru felt a sudden pain in his neck as something bit him, and then all was darkness…

Manami, with Patamon in her arms, ran into a pitch-black alley. Several soldiers ran past her, and then she was alone again.

"Kudamon saved us," Patamon said quietly. "If he hadn't distracted the soldiers with his attack, we wouldn't have been able to escape from them back there."

"Yes, but he and Mamoru…What will become of them?" The woman cried out as she sank to the ground. She leaned her back against the cold and dirty wall, shutting her eyes in despair and fatigue.

"Manami, your otouto is already fifteen years old," Patamon gently reminded his companion. Manami slowly opened her weary eyes. "He can take care of himself. Manami, your brother will become a man, whether you like it or not. You can't babysit him forever; he has to make his own destiny, just as you must make yours, Manami."

"Patamon…" Manami whispered. "Patamon!" She repeated loudly and embraced the creature, breaking down completely.

Patamon sighed as he returned the hug. "It will be alright," he assured his companion. "We will see them again, safe and sound."

"Here you are, Sakurano Manami-san. We have been looking for you for a very a long time."

An unfamiliar voice, speaking in Japanese, startled Manami out of her misery. Besides her brother and their companions, no one had spoken Japanese to her in years. Slowly, Manami turned around.

The silhouette of a tall male stood in the dawn's early light at the entrance of the alley. As he took a few steps towards her and Patamon, Manami saw the face of a Chinese man probably not much older than she.

"Sumimasen, I didn't mean to frighten you," the man apologized sincerely. Manami realized then that she and Patamon were edging closer and closer towards the wall and away from the man. Unfortunately, just as Manami realized this, her foot slipped and she fell…right into the stranger's arms.

"Daijoubu desu ka, Sakurano-san?" The man asked worriedly. Manami wanted to distrust him. After all, there was no way a patriotic Chinese would help a Japanese out of sheer kindness, right? Unfortunately, the woman made the mistake of looking into the man's eyes, and she gasped.

'This man's eyes...' Manami realized. 'They're like that person...'

"Daijoubu?" the man repeated.

"Yes…" Manami finally replied, snapping out of her thoughts. Almost immediately, the woman put her hands in front of her mouth; she had said that in English! The man merely smiled at her, and Manami felt a warm sensation in her chest…

"It is alright. I understand English as well," the man said in English before switching back to Japanese. "Forgive my rudeness; I should have introduced myself first. My name is Guo Liang Wang. My father is currently one of the senior commanders in the People's Arm Police of China," Mr. Wang continued. Then, he caught sight of the orange hamster that was glaring up at him. "Ah, nice to meet you too," the man greeted the creature with a bow. "You must be Patamon-san, am I right?" he asked.

"How do you know about me?" Patamon asked suspiciously, never taking his eyes off the man's face. Out of the corner of his eye, Patamon saw that Manami was glaring at him.

'Of course,' the creature suddenly realized. 'This is the son of the man in charge of the country's civilian police force. Shooting death glares at him isn't the wisest thing to do…'

"My father is one of the leading researchers of the Cyberspace Research Project," Wang answered as Patamon looked away from him. "We know all about your kind and the world that you come from," he explained. "Do you know Bakumon?" he asked Patamon.

Patamon shook his head. "Well, he is my partner and best friend," Wang continued with a smile on his face. "I will introduce him to you sometime, Patamon-san. I believe the two of you will get along well."

"What do you want?" Patamon cut to the chase. "You were seeking out Manami for a reason, weren't you?" he asked.

Wang nodded as the smile on his face disappeared. "Sakurano Manami-san and Patamon-san, the fate of the human world and that other world now depend on the two of you. So please, come with me and I will explain everything."

Glossary:

Onee-sama: 'Older Sister' (very formal)

Matte: 'Wait' (informal)

Otouto: 'Little brother'

Hikari: 'Light'

Zekkoushou: One of Kudamon's attacks. Literally means 'Blinding Ray'.

Sumimasen: 'Excuse me/sorry' (formal)

Daijoubu desu ka: 'Are you alright?' (formal); daijoubu is the shortened, more informal version.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the prologue, despite the OCs that popped up almost immediately. The main plot of the story, which will begin in the next chapter, takes place 19-20 years later, in 2008 and 2009. Why these two years? That's for you to figure out as you continue reading. Happy reading!