Author's note: Although I use the American names for the characters in here, I still spell Kouji's name with a 'u.' Don't ask. It's a habit. And this fic takes place a little while before the kids reach Ophanimon's castle, but after the Knights have scanned every other place in the Digital World.

:xXxXx:

The light of the steadily dwindling campfire illuminated the surrounding trees, coloring their thick trunks in a soft splash of orange. The sky overhead was flecked with clouds, and what could be seen of its dark blue body was stippled by hundreds of silver stars.

It was a quiet night for the most part, interrupted occasionally by the calling of some distant creature of the dark, a soft wind in the branches, or the unmistakable sound of snoring from the campsite.

Kouji zipped up his jacket against the night air, which was exceptionally cool for late summer, and settled his back against a tree as he looked out beyond the clearing where his companions rested. The barren fields below the cliff on which their encampment lied were empty, but still he watched, lost in thought. He had volunteered to be the first on guard, a duty he usually took up anyway when the nocturnal side of him emerged.

Not that there's anything left around here to pose a threat, he thought darkly.

He leaned forward with a brief sigh, resting his arms on his knees. Kouji had not yet given up on the possibility of victory, but just thinking about the odds they were up against was enough to both dampen his spirits and darken his mood. All that now stood between the group and the revival of Lucemon was one piece of land; one more scan by the Knights, and it was over.

Almost mechanically, his hand strayed to his pocket and withdrew his D-Tector. The tiny screen was blank, reflecting his own solemn face in its black depths as he held it up. More than ever, he wanted to hear Ophanimon's guiding voice assure them it was all for the best—that she believed in them, as she had always done. Without that guidance, the journey ahead seemed much darker.

Kouji's muscles tensed as a sound reached his ears. Swiftly he looked back toward the fire, gripping the D-Tector tightly.

No; it was only someone stirring. He relaxed, but not before returning the small device to its place. Turning away, he put his arms behind his head and continued his watch of the fields, trying to ignore how whoever had awoken wasn't lying back down. After a minute or two he could hear footsteps approaching his spot.

"Kouji?" It was Zoe.

"What?" He didn't look up.

"…Mind if I sit with you?"

Kouji shrugged. "Whatever." Zoe sat down and crossed her legs in front of him, her back to the clearing. She made no attempt at conversation; on the contrary, she was silent for a good while, something Kouji was thankful for, and gave no sign that she was even aware of his presence. He took the opportunity to close his eyes against the light, until at last he heard her open her mouth.

"Kouji?"

"What?" Zoe didn't respond, and Kouji opened his eyes to look at her. "What?" he repeated, his impatience getting the better of him. He was far from a tolerant frame of mind at the moment.

She took her time in replying. "Do you…do you ever…dream about home?"

That caught him off guard. He avoided the question and asked, "Why?"

It was Zoe's turn to shrug as her eyes met his. "I don't know. Even though I'm used to dreams about home, it just seems like I've been having them more than usual lately." She said it casually, with no hint of embarrassment or unease, but Kouji, who spent a lot of his time scrutinizing his own feelings, could tell she saw the issue as more important than she was letting on. More importantly, he could tell that it wasn't something she had admitted to anyone else, or planned to.

"Is that why you can't sleep?" His voice was somewhat gentler than he liked to show.

Zoe blinked. "Hey, I'm not that sappy," she said defensively.

"That's not what I said," he retorted in the same tone.

She dropped her gaze and slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry…I guess it's just making me nervous."

"What is?"

Looking over at him, Zoe faltered. "You'll just think I'm a silly little girl if I tell you."

"It's kinda late for that."

She smiled slightly, and then brought her legs up and hugged her knees as she spoke. "If you want to know, I'm starting to wonder if the dreams aren't some sort of…sign. I mean, I thought about it at first, but then with everything that's happened, I sort of pushed it to the back of my mind." Zoe bit her lip. "I'm just thinking: will we ever go home?"

Much to Kouji's discomfort, she watched him after she said it, as though hoping he would have an answer. He, too, had thought about it at first, and every once in a while, but to discuss it with someone else was another matter. Still, something inside of him desired to comfort her.

"We will," he said firmly. Zoe looked surprised. "That's what we're all about, isn't it? Hope, I mean. It's what's gotten us this far."

She cocked her head and seemed to think about it for a moment. "Promise?"

Kouji hesitated, unable to believe he was a part of this conversation. But whether he cared more for Zoe than he would admit or just needed some reassurance himself, he gave a small smile and nodded. "I promise."

Zoe studied him thoughtfully. "You're awfully sweet and supportive when you need to be."

He made a gesture of indifference. "Just don't let it get out."

"Why? I think it's romantic."

"Like I said, don't let it get out." He smiled good-humoredly.

She frowned and crossed her arms. "Would it kill you to be just a little like that half the time?" Kouji stared, but was spared answering by a sudden screech in the dead branches over their heads, followed by the silhouette of some large bird swooping down low. Before he could react, Zoe shrieked and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his knees so tightly he could feel her nails biting into him through his pants. Almost immediately she realized the situation and loosened her hold, but even in the dim glow of the fire, Kouji could see that her face was burning red, and imagined he looked the same. She retreated to the spot beside him, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked apologetically.

"You're fine," he assured her, trying not to wince. Zoe looked away towards the fire, avoiding his eyes, then suddenly turned back to him.

"You never answered my question," she told him, putting her hands on her knees again.

He knew what she meant, and considered his response carefully. "…Sometimes," he said finally.

"Now, see? Was that so hard?" Zoe poked his side playfully.

"Don't do that!" he snapped on instinct. She raised an eyebrow, and then grinned as realization dawned.

"That's right—you're ticklish, aren't you?"

"No." Kouji caught her wrist as she aimed at his side again. "Hey! I said don't!" He scooted over, trying to escape the hand she still had free, but she was already on her knees.

"Yes, you are!" she said with glee. Both were standing, with Kouji steadily backing up while clasping her hands in his own.

"Zoe, I'm serious! Don't—" He stumbled on some unseen root and fell, Zoe landing on top of him, who seized the chance the moment he let go to dig her fingers into his side.

"What? Sorry, can't hear you!" she giggled, talking over his bouts of suppressed laughter.

"Zoe—stop it—you're asking for it—" Kouji gasped. He had half a mind to call to the other guys for backup, but knew that would mean putting up with Takuya teasing him for being beaten by a girl. His pride won out, and he turned to his only other possibility. "That's—it!" He jumped up at her, and the two of them rolled end over end a few times before coming to a halt, where he pinned her down and attacked her bare belly.

"Kouji!" she squealed, already beginning to chuckle. "Stop it!" He ignored her vain attempts at wresting his hands away, and didn't back down until she had tears in her eyes from laughing. "Okay! Okay—I'm sorry!" Zoe managed to say. "Just—stop it—"

Kouji stopped, and then put a hand over her mouth to stifle her last giggles. "I'm going to get up," he said calmly, "and if you try anything funny, I won't go easy on you next time. Alright?" She mumbled something against his palm that he took for a yes. "Good." He stood and offered his hand, which she took, and pulled her to her feet. They practically collapsed against the tree, holding their sore sides and panting.

"Let's not do that again," she said in a weak voice.

He nodded. Right then a chilling breeze picked up, and what remained of the campfire withered and died. Kouji felt her seize his arm as she inched closer.

She's really got to stop doing that, he thought. "What now?" he said aloud.

He could feel her eyes on him as she glared. "The dark freaks me out a bit, okay?" She continued to clutch him in a vice-like grip.

Kouji tried to think, but it was hard to do with her so close by. It wasn't until his arm began to go numb that he said awkwardly, "Look, it's not totally dark out." She looked up at him, and to his own surprise he found some comfort in his words, as well. "You've still got the moon and the stars, don't you?" Even as he said it, the clouds above parted, revealing several shining orbs in full. Her hold loosened a little, and Kouji leaned back to allow her a full view of the fields, now flooded with moonlight. Despite the rather morbid scene, signs of life were becoming more and more common as they neared Ophanimon's castle, and the desolation beneath them was relieved here and there by small patches of green.

"It's so bright," Zoe murmured. He couldn't help smiling at the view himself, but his smile faded as she shivered. "It's still chilly, though. Why's it this cold in summer, anyway?" she complained bitterly. Kouji paused as an idea struck him.

Why not? I don't have any dignity left, anyway. With some difficulty, he managed to pry his arm from her grasp and drape it around her shoulders. "That better?" He felt the blush creeping up his neck as she stared.

"Why, Kouji, I didn't know you cared," she teased.

"It's not like I have much of a choice. As long as you're awake and complaining, I'll never get to sleep," he said obstinately. Zoe laughed in a way that said, Yeah, right, and snuggled against him, laying her head on his shoulder.

It didn't take long for her breathing to slow and become even, but Kouji stayed awake for some time. What he had told Zoe had actually been closer to his heart than he was willing to let anyone know. The night sky had always fascinated him—the moon, specifically—and so it had come first to his mind in searching for an attempt at consoling her. There had been a number of sleepless nights in which he had found himself observing the stars, at times until the sun came up and cast them into a pale pink oblivion.

Kouji scowled and tore his eyes from the sight. He was starting to wish he were alone again. He tried sizing Zoe up, estimating whether he could just carry her back over to the others without waking her, but then decided against it.

Having grown warm from her body heat, he unzipped his jacket and rested back against the cool bark behind him. It was getting late, even for him, and he could soon feel the beginning of sleep at the edge of his mind. Yawning, he permitted his entire body to finally relax, and less than a minute later fell into a dreamless slumber.

:xXxXx:

Kouji awoke with a start, and this instantly told him something was wrong. It was still dark out; judging by the moons' positions, it couldn't have been more than an hour since he fell asleep. Zoe's head had fallen forward onto his chest, her heavy breathing having yet to be broken. He looked over towards where the others were sleeping but could see no sign of movement. A quick glance showed him the fields, as bare as ever.

There was the sound of a small wind, and Kouji had begun to assume it was this that had roused him when something occurred to his mind: there wasn't any wind.

He froze, listening: the boughs around them were dead still. With a feeling of dread he looked up, and in the distance saw two dark shapes against the sky, moving rapidly in the direction of the camp and gradually losing altitude as they approached. Shifting Zoe aside, he rubbed his eyes and leaned forward. The shapes had outlines that were vaguely humanoid, and as he watched, Kouji thought he could discern the color of each. The one on the left was undoubtedly white, while the other was harder to make out. Suddenly, a ray of moonlight caught the edge of the remaining figure, revealing it to be several shades of pink. Kouji's heart sank.

He leapt to his feet, but the Knights were now little more than several hundred yards off, moving in a beeline towards the clearing. Cupping his hands around his mouth, Kouji shouted, as loud as his limits would permit, "GUYS! Wake up! We're under attack!"

There were several confused groans as the others stirred, but he took that as a good sign and knelt down by Zoe. "Zoe, wake up!" he said loudly, shaking her shoulder. "It's the Knights! We've gotta move!"

"Wha…?" She opened her eyes and stared blankly at him, trying to take in his words, and then widened them at something behind him. Kouji whipped around to see Dynasmon and Crusadermon land in the middle of the clearing, the latter of whom was facing himself and Zoe. Behind them, he could see Takuya stand up in front of the others protectively, fully awake and aware.

"And so we meet again, children," said Crusadermon smugly. "Do forgive us for interrupting your nap."

"So, you've sunken so low that you have to attack us in our sleep in order to win?" Takuya asked angrily.

Dynasmon took a step toward him. "How dare you, you little brat!" In a heartbeat, Takuya had withdrawn his D-Tector and held it forward.

"You know what to do, guys!" he called. Locking eyes with Kouji, the two of them nodded, and after taking out his own D-Tector he heard Tommy cry,

"Ice into flame!"

"Thunder into light!" came J.P.'s voice.

"Wind into flame!" said Zoe behind him.

Kouji held his D-Tector high, waiting for Kouichi to finish the process, but then—

"Dragon Thrower!" There was a flash of brilliant light, and Kouji felt the heat on his face as Dynasmon's attack blazed towards him. At the last second he ducked and rolled away, simultaneously throwing out a hand to catch Zoe's arm and pull her with him. They hit the dirt, leaving the blast to pass harmlessly overhead, but her scream kept him from celebrating too soon. Kouji looked just in time to see her slide feet-first off the cliff, scrabbling unsuccessfully for a hold on the stark ground as she slipped away.

"Zoe!" Using the adrenaline in his body to pitch himself forward, he landed on his stomach and used his free hand to catch one of hers. She was now hanging freely from the precipice, with Kouji's grip the only guard between her and the fields several hundred feet below. "Hold on!" he said through gritted teeth. In the back of his mind, he heard the familiar cry of "EmperorGreymon!" but forced himself to ignore it—his limbs were taking too long to wake up, making it impossible for him to pull Zoe back onto the ledge. All he could do was hold fast.

"Kouji, I'm coming!" EmperorGreymon growled over the unmistakable clash of battle. Kouji turned his head as far as it would go, which still restricted his view from seeing any of the fight.

"Protect the others! I've got her!" he ordered back. "Zoe, listen to me," he said in a softer tone. "I can't do this alone—you'll have to help me."

She shook her head. "I can't!"

"Yes, you can! Look at me, Zoe." She obeyed, and her fearful gaze met with his determined one. "I've seen you do things a hundred times harder than this. Digimon or not, I know you're strong. You can do this." Then, in the same voice he had used little more than an hour ago, he added, "I promise."

Amid all the confusion and panic, Zoe found a way to take these words to heart, and a hint of a smile passed over her face, but then quickly disappeared as a shadow loomed over them both.

"Ah, the young hero rushes to the aid of his lady. How beautiful." Kouji craned his neck to see Crusadermon on his right. "It's just a shame that your story has to end so soon, young hero." Laughing victoriously, she raised a hand. "Fist—"

BAM.

Something small connected squarely with the side of her head, and from somewhere behind him Kouji heard, "Pick on someone your own size, you big bully!"

Tommy?

"Leave those children alone!" said Bokomon indignantly, followed shortly by another clang on Crusadermon's armor.

"You dare—?" she hissed, and a second later launched herself into the air, no longer concerned with Kouji and Zoe. There was a rush of footsteps as the others took off, and Kouji risked a glance over his shoulder. Sure enough, there was J.P., Tommy, Bokomon, and Neemon, with Crusadermon hot in pursuit.

Kouichi, he realized. Where's Kouichi?

"Kouji!" Zoe's cry brought him back to reality, and he tightened his fingers around hers as he felt her waver.

"Hold on!" he repeated. His arms and chest were now aching from the effort, but he shoved it aside and began to pull. At first, it did nothing more than contribute to his strain, but Zoe managed to find a foothold of some kind and push herself up. Disregarding the sweat trickling down his face and neck, Kouji gave a large heave, and her shoulders cleared the ledge.

That was when the ground underneath them exploded. Red light half-blinded them, and in the confusion he felt his D-Tector slip from his fingers. As they were propelled into the air Kouji caught a glimpse of EmperorGreymon hurrying towards them, only to have both Royal Knights leap in his way. In the next instant that image was gone, and he and Zoe were hurtled downward.

:xXxXx:

For a frozen moment in time, Kouji wasn't sure what hurt more: the heat of the blast, his heart hammering against his ribcage, or Zoe's grip like steel on his shoulders. Instinctively he pulled her to him, leaving his right arm free, which he threw out as though hoping to catch a hold of something. In the back of his mind he knew it was in vain; the ledge was already out of reach, and moonlight showed the cliff face to be almost smooth, providing nothing for him to grab onto. Then—

"Kouji!" Even over Zoe's lasting scream, Kouji heard the surprisingly close voice, and a hand about three times the size and ten times the strength of his own closed around his wrist. The abrupt stop in their fall nearly jerked Zoe right out of his arms, but they each held tight as they looked up to see the face of Lowemon, his red eyes flashing with relief.

In spite of himself, Kouji smiled, unsure whether he had ever been so grateful to his brother as he was now. Other than a knowing nod, Lowemon said nothing. Silently he reached down to relieve Kouji of Zoe, and then with no sign of effort raised them both back onto the shelf and set them on their feet.

"You alright?" he asked concernedly, as soon as they were standing on their own. Before they could reply, bright yellow tendrils wrapped themselves around Lowemon's shoulders and lifted him up, pinning his arms to his sides. Just as quickly, he was slung backwards into the trunk of a dead tree, and the bands made swift work—none too gently—in binding him to it. Framed by the red and white radiance of the battle behind her, Crusadermon looked from her captive to Kouji.

"You're still here?" she said with annoyance.

"Let him go!" he demanded. "This is between you and me!"

She made a sound of amusement. "On the contrary, my young hero. All who oppose our cause shall be destroyed and used for that which they dared to resist in the first place: the revival of Lord Lucemon."

Kouji started to answer, but then froze. Only a few feet to her left, his D-Tector was lying, apparently yet unseen by the Digimon. Having spotted it in the corner of his eye, he kept his gaze on her face, not wanting to give himself away if he could help it. There was no way he could get past her and live, which meant he would need some kind of distraction to get to it; but a growl of pain from Lowemon broke into his thoughts, and Kouji watched in distress as Crusadermon's strands tightened.

"Stop it!" Zoe cried. Crusadermon looked at her, and Kouji immediately saw his chance—his eyes met his brother's, and, slightly, he jerked his head in the direction of his D-Tector. Lowemon—Kouichi—followed the gesture with some difficulty, and then conceiving what Kouji meant to do, he gave another small nod.

Crusadermon was saying something to Zoe, but Kouji was already tensing his muscles for the spring that would determine the outcome of far more than he liked to think, and he could pay no attention.

"Shadow Meteor!"

Crusadermon yelled in shock as her ropes were shredded by a blast of black light; and in the next instant Kouji was moving, doing his best to tune out Lowemon's roar of defiance as he ran. The distance between himself and the D-Tector seemed to have tripled, and after what felt like an eternity he hit his knees to slide the last five feet. His fingers closed around the device, but victory was short-lived as he took a quick look at the fight: EmperorGreymon was clearly weakening, his actions becoming slower by the minute. His armor was scarred and punctured in several places, whereas Dynasmon appeared virtually unharmed. Right then the Knight delivered a concrete blow, and his opponent staggered back from the force, somehow still managing to block the next strike with his sword.

A new fury flowed through Kouji's veins like fire. He held up his D-Tector, but then realized: I don't have Kouichi's spirit.

"Fist of Athena!"

Faster than he could follow, Lowemon was hurled through the air at lightning speed towards the clearing, where he struck another tree with enough momentum to unearth its roots and topple it. He hit the ground and didn't move, yet he still maintained his spirit's form; Kouji had little time to wonder, for Crusadermon now turned to him, and he had to shove it aside. Spirits or no spirits, he needed some firepower. If MagnaGarurumon wasn't an option, he would have to go for the next best thing.

He concentrated, and instantly Kouji felt the familiar energy around his fingers as the fractal code materialized into view.

"Execute—" he began, "Fusion—"

"I think not!"

Kouji faltered as a yellow line batted his hand with the strength of a sledgehammer, knocking the D-Tector from his grasp. It skidded across the dirt back over to the cliff, and stopped just short of tumbling over to balance precariously on the edge. "No!" Ignoring his throbbing arm, Kouji tore after it, but Zoe was ahead of him. She made a wild dive, and he could see her fingertips brush the end of the D-Tector right as it slipped off the precipice. He arrived at her side to see the black abyss swallow their last hope in the time it took to blink.

A few seconds passed in which the two of them simply stared, unwilling to give in to the truth. Kouji was the first to overcome his disbelief; he whirled around to face Crusadermon, at the same time searching for anything that might serve as a weapon. At his left hand was a partially rotted branch, about as long as he was tall and a little thicker than his forearm. He didn't have to think to seize it and stand up, brandishing it like a sword.

"Kouji! Have you gone crazy?" Zoe grabbed the back of his jacket. "What d'you think you're doing?"

"If you've got a better idea, I'd love to hear it," he said, not turning around.

"Forgive me if I find this rather amusing," Crusadermon derided, "but the irony is just too rich. After all the battles we've waged against one another, who would have predicted my triumph over you to be so completely effortless?" She laughed, and Kouji took the opportunity to hiss over his shoulder,

"Get back to the others."

Zoe released him in surprise. "What? No!"

"Do it!"

Later, when he looked back on the whole affair, Kouji would suspect the only reason Crusadermon didn't kill him outright was because he had caught her off guard. He was still a good distance away when, using the stick like a pole, he propelled himself into the air, purposely aiming a bit too far to the left. This landed him among the dry boughs of a nearby tree, where the limbs snagged and pulled at his jacket and hair, temporarily slowing him. Nonetheless, Crusadermon reacted the way Kouji had planned, and he just barely dodged another tendril. There was a cracking sound as she attempted to wrest it out of the grasping, thorn-like branches, and right away Kouji forced himself to move, keeping a firm hold on his own branch as he scrambled through the briar.

"I tire of these games, human!" said Crusadermon angrily. The middle of the tree shattered as she pulled free, sending a rain of sharp splinters over Kouji. Suddenly a rogue stem caught his bandana, and having no choice but to keep moving or be destroyed, he kept on, disregarding the brief sting as it was torn from his hair. Impatient and unable to reach through to him, Crusadermon instead smashed the tree's base with her fist; a moment later it began to sway, but Kouji was already acting.

She had imagined several reactions from him, none of which was for him to uncoil his muscles and launch himself right at her. By the time she comprehended, he was close enough to draw back his weapon and deal a dead-on smack to her face with it.

Not even Crusadermon could have guessed how he would surpass her low expectations of the human race; indeed, the fact alone that he possessed the nerve to confront her at all was enough to make her think twice about the light boy's species. The hit didn't hurt, of course; to her, it was no more damage than a fly could do. But whatever hate she already had for him was now multiplied tenfold in a red wrath.

She arose from her fury to find that he had landed on her shoulder. Her first thought was to crush him like the insect he was for being so bold, but then she remembered: she was a lady. A warrior. She could not let her emotions blind her. Rather, she had to use that very idea against her adversary.

Crusadermon knew as much as anyone about the concept of fight-or-flight instinct; the child was acting in desperation, for sure. Had it been for himself, the last thing he would have done was stand up to her in his current form. This puzzled her.

There was no hope for the other one, the Fire Warrior—Dynasmon would make sure of that. The other children had fled, so why was he gambling his life in a battle he would unquestionably lose in the end?

The female. Of course.

Crusadermon would have smiled, had she been capable. If the boy had so foolishly turned his back on an enemy to save her, there was a good chance there was no limit as to what he wouldn't do for the girl.

All of this passed through her mind in little more than a second, and so Kouji was still fumbling for a grip on her slick armor when she paused to listen.

Yes—the girl wasn't far. Crusadermon could hear her heartbeat as well as her footsteps, as clear as though the din of Dynasmon and EmperorGreymon no longer existed. Smirking inwardly, she struck Kouji with a tendril to knock him away and turned around. It would leave him breathless once he hit the ground, but it wasn't meant to kill.

Sure enough, there was the other child—she had actually been hesitating, looking uneasily from her valiant teammate to the safety of the dead forest. She took a fearful step back when she realized Crusadermon had turned from Kouji. Before Zoe could make another move, the Digimon lunged forward and snatched her round the middle with her left hand.

Crusadermon could have laughed in ecstasy at the look on the boy's face. He sat up, holding his head, and then seeing the situation went as still as death. A mixture of astonishment, anger and dread passed over his features, and after mastering them he stood, the stick limp in his fingers. It was over.

"Let. Me. Go!" the girl shouted. She tried unsuccessfully with her fists to beat at the hand clutching her.

"See what you have earned for your efforts?" Crusadermon asked, talking over the protests. "Nothing more than the price of seeing your friends perish because of your own folly." Her grasp constricted, making the girl cry out.

"Stop it!" Kouji commanded. "You dare to call yourself a warrior when all you do is hide like a coward behind anyone you can threaten?"

Quivering with rage, she extended her hostage over the cliff, careful not to let go, yet. The girl screamed.

"Zoe!" Kouji emitted a frustrated growl, glaring, but the worry in his tone only fueled Crusadermon's enthusiasm.

"Forget it, Kouji!" Zoe gasped amid her terror. "Help Takuya!"

"Yes, boy," Crusadermon mocked. "Stay and watch this one die, or go and witness your other friend's destruction. Which shall you choose?"

"Don't!" he said exasperatedly. "Put her down and face me!"

She pretended to consider. "True, the absorption of your fractal code would make a wonderful addition to Lord Lucemon's collection," she sneered, "but it would be so much easier on my part to simply kill two birds with one stone."

She released, and Zoe let out another scream as she plummeted downwards.

"NO!"

With a large degree of satisfaction, Crusadermon watched Kouji race past her and leap, without wavering, bough in hand, after his colleague. She waited long enough for their voices to fade out of hearing, and once they had finally ceased altogether, she went to join her comrade in eliminating what remained of the rebellious children. Had she chanced a peek over the edge after Kouji supposedly jumped to his death, she might have seen what was actually about to happen.

It didn't take him long to catch up with Zoe, but for all the good that would do; she was falling face first, which meant she didn't notice him until he threw an arm around her middle to keep them from separating. Panicking, she began to fight him blindly, and after narrowly avoiding a nasty collision between her elbow and his nose, Kouji yelled crossly,

"Zoe! Stop fighting me and hold on!" The effect was immediate. Her struggling stopped, only to be replaced by her clinging to his torso for dear life. Kouji tried to look around, but her hair was billowing up around them, blocking anything and everything from view. He used the same hand that was holding her to him to brush as much of it as he could out of the way, and found that their positions had shifted so that they were falling with their bodies horizontal, her on the bottom. The cliff face was about an arm's length away; as their altitude declined, he saw, the rock seemed to get more rough and uneven. A few cracks and holes the size of his fist could be seen, but trying to insert a body part into any of them would likely succeed in ripping it off. Then, some ten seconds below them, Kouji spotted something dark and rigid protruding from the cliff's side—probably a root, descended from some foliage that had long since been buried in the movements of land that had created the mountain in the first place. Or perhaps the limb of some lasting plant that had fought to survive in those conditions; whatever the reason, it kindled a flicker of hope in Kouji's heart.

"I'm gonna try something," he said loudly in her ear. "Whatever you do, don't let go." At the rate his ribs were aching, he seriously doubted that would be an issue.

In his left hand was the stick he had picked up—he put this in place over his head so that his right hand could grip the other end when the time came. That done, he prepared himself for the tricky part: the branch in the cliff was coming up on them fast—he would have to time this just right.

Twenty feet below them—fifteen—ten—five—

It zoomed up, right between his arms, and at the last moment Kouji closed the fingers on his free hand around his own bough. It struck against the one on the cliff, which buckled under their weight but held, and he and Zoe came to a halt so quickly that she slid partway down his body and ended up hugging his legs. He winced at the jolt that shot through his wrists and shoulders.

"You okay?" he asked. He didn't look down.

"…I think so," came her reply. "Now what?"

"Working on it." Kouji cast a glance left, right, and up, but could see nothing near enough to be of any avail. "See if you can—"

CRACK.

"…Oh, great."

"What do you mean, 'oh, great!'" Zoe inquired shrilly. In answer, the last threads holding their support to the cliff broke, and for the third time that night, the two of them were falling toward what was evidently to be their death sooner or later. But this time, the drop only lasted about five feet.

"Ah!"

"Oh!"

The suddenness of the impact knocked the breath out of them both. For a while they didn't move, but held onto each other lest any other action should send them spiraling down once more.

"Are we alive?" she said uncertainly. There was a groan from Kouji as his face slid into view over hers, throwing Zoe into confusion until she perceived that he had landed on top of her. His arm was beneath her head, and she had a fistful of his jacket in each hand, which meant they were, at the farthest, maybe two inches from touching noses.

Giving an embarrassed shriek, Zoe pushed him away and sat up, her cheeks crimson. "You're welcome," Kouji muttered, although he appeared just as uncomfortable. He stood, sweeping a few stray hairs from his face as he took in their surroundings. They were on a sort of shelf, around five feet at its widest point and ten from left to right. The fall from the campsite was actually shorter than they had imagined; but it was still a long way up, with five times that span to the ground under them.

"Now what do we do?" Zoe wondered aloud. She jumped as Kouji drove a fist into the wall of rock.

"This is all my fault!" he snarled. When she was silent, he turned back to her, his eyes angry and solemn. He wanted to yell, there's nothing left to do, but held it and slowly directed his gaze back up the cliff. The flashing lights of combat were dimming. Soon, it would all be over, and he didn't dare delude himself with the possibility that they would come out on top.

I should be up there, he thought. Takuya…Kouichi…all of them… In his mind's eye he saw EmperorGreymon, falling before the Knights and wondering why Kouji hadn't been there to help. He saw Kouichi, defending the others as Dynasmon and Crusadermon hunted them down, only to fail in the end, alone.

Kouji saw this and despaired, but at the same time, another part of him seemed to resist it. It saw, but it didn't believe. That feeling solidified, and as Kouji turned to it for strength, it began to surge through his limbs in an adrenaline-like rush.

It wasn't over. Not yet, anyway.

He felt empowered by this reality, both physically and emotionally. It was like a light in the dark, offering him one last chance.

It's not over.

"Kouji!" Zoe leapt to her feet as he looked.

Only a yard or two away and half concealed by the rocks and stones it had landed among, his D-Tector was radiating softly as static crackled across the screen. In a heartbeat Kouji had hurried forward and scooped it up, and at his touch the light faded, having done its job.

The sense of audacity grew stronger as he studied his reflection. He was dirty, tired, and bruised, but alive, and now he had a chance.

"It fell a long way," Zoe pointed out. "Will it still work?"

Kouji gradually smiled his reassuring smile. "Only one way to find out."

Battle was no longer an option. He knew that. By now, Takuya would be in no condition to keep fighting, rendering MagnaGarurumon useless against both Royal Knights. Speed was the key. Kouji needed to get in and out as quick as possible. Fall back and live to fight another day.

And if Takuya wanted to gripe about it, fine. At least this way he'd be able to whine.

"Execute—Spirit Evolution!" As always, the change started with Kouji's clothes snaking off his body to be traded for the white, silver and purple armor he had come to rely on more times than he could count. His muscles thickened, building up to a potency humans only dreamed of. His hair shortened and grew light, and he was momentarily struck blind as his eyes enlarged and changed color.

The transformation completed; but the effect was not only corporeal. Kouji's mind was embraced by that of Lobomon's, and with it came the Warrior of Light's self-belief and serenity. He was confident, but cautious. Unlike the beast spirit, it didn't try to submerge his thought beneath its own and take control—it was just there to keep an eye on him. Out of respect for the soul that its body was now hosting, it would not interfere unless asked.

He stood still and listened. Other than Zoe's breathing, his acute hearing could detect nothing nearby. "We've gotta move," he told her. "Lobo Kendo!" Withdrawing one of the blazing swords, Lobomon crouched down and allowed her to loop her arms around his neck for a hold while he used his remaining hand to secure her waist. "Trust me," he said soothingly, seeing her anxiety. He didn't wait to watch what she would do. He shot up and away from the shelf, and at the top of his jump he drove the sword into the cliff. From there he swung over to another smaller ledge, where he bent his legs for the next bound. Altogether, the climb up took less than a minute, but being painfully aware that they could already be too late gnawed incessantly at him, and every second felt like an hour.

At last, only one more leap lay between themselves and the top. Lobomon stopped here and turned to Zoe. "Find the others. I'm going after Takuya, and I need you to make sure everyone's in one place so we can get out quicker." The way he spoke didn't imply that it was a request. She nodded.

"Okay."

"If something goes wrong, get them away from here, got it?" He moved before she could agree. They reached the edge, and Lobomon took care to emerge behind a group of trees; the element of surprise was one of the few weapons on their side. Setting her down, he pointed towards where he had seen the others last. "Now go!" he ordered. Zoe obeyed, but not until she had thrown him one last look: Be careful. Then she was gone, making her way through the lifeless trees and eventually disappearing into the night.

"Come, Crusadermon, we have tarried here too long on behalf of these brats. Let us finish him and be off!" Crouching low, Lobomon extinguished his sword and stole around the trunks noiselessly as the Knights conversed.

"You rob me of my sport, Dynasmon," Crusadermon objected, "but very well." The sound of metal on metal shook the clearing, followed by the distinctive glow of someone de-digivolving. "Make it easy on yourself, boy, and tell us where they're hiding. In return, we'll finish you quickly."

"Forget it!"

Lobomon slowed and observed the scene through the brown spikes of a thorn bush: the two Digimon had their backs to him, and before them Takuya rested on hands and knees, head bowed in exhaustion. There were various scrapes and contusions wherever his skin showed, already streaming with sweat.

"Don't be a fool," warned Crusadermon. "Defy us, and your suffering will only continue. Now, where are they?"

Then Takuya said something that prompted a grim smile from Lobomon.

"You dare speak to a lady in such a manner?" Crusadermon shook her head. "I'll teach you some respect. Fist of Athena!"

"Howling Laser!" The beam hit her square in the shoulder and ricocheted off, severing an oak's middle and starting a domino reaction as it fell and took down most of the trees around it. Needless to say, that got their attention.

The female Knight stared at Lobomon, who jumped into the open and extracted his shimmering blades. "What does it take to kill you?" she seethed.

"A lot more than what you can dish out," Lobomon retorted. He dodged to the right as she rushed him, but before he could turn about, her arm caught him in the back. The crushing blow drove him gasping into the earth; he hadn't even come to a stop when her shadow was cast over him, and he felt the breeze of her fist as he rolled swiftly out of the way. He was up. Crusadermon was strong, but Lobomon atoned for it with speed. While he couldn't fight, he could work his way over to Takuya and, hopefully, escape with him.

"Dynasmon! Finish the other!" She swung at Lobomon and missed by a hair.

Halfway to joining her, Dynasmon stopped. "With pleasure!"

"Takuya!" Lobomon turned his head, distracted, and paid with a bone-shattering cuff to the chin. He tasted blood in his mouth, and to his dismay sensed the will that held his spirit's form together begin to disintegrate. No, no, NO! Hold it! his mind screamed. Partly paralyzed, he didn't bother fighting back as Crusadermon caught him in one of her strands, but put all of his lingering energy into sustaining Lobomon's body. The last of the air in his lungs left him in a merciless squeeze.

"Give it up, child. You have no more tricks left to save you."

Spitting the words to get them out, Lobomon panted, "…Just…one." In a louder voice he cried, "Lobomon: Slide Evolution!"

He couldn't see it, but Kouji knew that his skin was hardening and becoming as white as snow, streaked with lines of amethyst and gold. His body grew larger and larger, exceeding a ton, at the least. Fangs grew in place of his weak human teeth as the upper part of his armor merged with his lips and elongated into a snout. His knees reversed in direction, his fingers stretched into claws. Wheels came out of where his wrists and ankles would normally be. An itching between his shoulder blades announced the appearance of his "wings," and his tailbone lengthened to several feet.

"KendoGarurumon!"

Fight! Fight! Fight!

The beast spirit was ready for action, rejuvenated by the burst of vigor that came in the process. It wanted to move, it wanted to be free—but some type of rope was holding it back. KendoGarurumon didn't like that.

With a roar he flared his wing-blades, slicing through the restraints like paper. All four paws touched the ground and he turned to face the threat. The beast spirit was more than willing to get into it with this intruder—he lowered his head and growled in a sign of challenge.

The Kouji inside knew what to expect, but his anger and despair had succumbed his instincts to KendoGarurumon's, and for a wild moment he forgot where he was. Still, KendoGarurumon's mind was part machine, and it ran through recent memories in a manner similar to that of a computer's.

Takuya.

The name was like ice water. At once he dropped the rejoining Crusadermon from his thoughts, simultaneously clicking his wheels into position. It took no more than five seconds between becoming KendoGarurumon and this plan of action; as a result, he was able to take off before she could move, leaving his surprised ex-captor in the dust and doing an about turn toward his companion.

No! Dynasmon had already charged up for the fatal blast—he was about to fire—

"Blue Pine Laser!" The Knight didn't even flinch as it hit, but it had served its purpose by diverting his concentration. In a blink KendoGarurumon shot past him like a bullet; Takuya was now only half-conscious, no longer moving, and bearing down on him KendoGarurumon seized the scruff of his shirt in his jaws and lifted.

A flash of pink—too fast! Fortunately, Crusadermon underestimated his quickness as well, and the punch intended for KendoGarurumon's face instead crushed into his left flank. He rolled over twice and, praying that his thrashing about hadn't done any damage to the boy he was carrying, pushed himself up wearily. A deep rumbling sounded in his throat.

"That your best shot?" he barked through the pain.

"Spare us the heroics." Crusadermon drew closer, making him retreat a few steps. "Not so confident now, are you? But as for why you would put your life on the line for the likes of him is beyond my grasp." She gestured vaguely at Takuya. "Not that it matters. Your acts of bravery tonight were futile, human, and for that we shall take special care to save your lady friend for last." Dynasmon took to the air to hover above the two Digidestined. "I'll be sure to tell her how you died fighting in a corner like the dog you are.

"Spiral Masquerade!"

"Dragon Thrower!"

The words had not even left them when KendoGarurumon jerked to the left, driving his wing-blade into and through a thick trunk and three others next to it. Ducking his head to protect Takuya, he charged into them—for so clean was his cut that the trees wouldn't begin to fall for another moment or two—and broke through. The Knights' attacks obliterated the ground where he had been.

The others weren't far; even under the darkness of the canopy overhead, KendoGarurumon could distinguish their scents as clear as though he were being directed by neon signs. Six of them, less than a mile north.

Dynasmon and Crusadermon were in hot pursuit, but this body had been built for speed. The distance between his followers and himself neither increased nor shrank, and he had just regained some hope when the smells suddenly grew more fresh and potent.

Color up ahead—brake! With no room to swerve, KendoGarurumon shifted the wheels into reverse and threw the majority of his weight onto his back legs. Thanks to the long stretch that still lay before him, he was able to stop in time, although when he did, he was so close that Zoe could have reached out and touched him.

"Get on, now! All of you!" Still rooted to the spot from the near impact, Zoe had to be coaxed onto KendoGarurumon's back by Kouichi, and the instant they were all aboard he started again.

The Knights had made good use of his stall to catch up a considerable bit, but the reunion of the children seemed to encourage KendoGarurumon's pace rather than hinder it. The ambush had been an idea of their own, and so to abandon it would not be defying the will of their lord; this in mind, Crusadermon came to a standstill.

"Let them go," she said to Dynasmon. "We have other business to attend to."

"But they are down by half their strength, at least. Is it wise to not strike now?"

"…No," she replied finally. "Lord Lucemon shall see to them, if we cannot find the time to do so ourselves. Come."

:xXxXx:

"How's he doing?"

Kouji pulled himself out of thought as Zoe took a seat on the root next to him. "Better," he answered. "He'll be up and moving by morning. Not that I'm sure it's a good thing." Try as he might to say it lightheartedly, it came out preoccupied with previous thinking, and whether it was due to the fact that she just knew his nature, or the female intuition that those of Kouji's gender often found annoying when it uncovered a wound they were loath to discuss, Zoe sensed something was wrong.

"Kouji?" He was grateful for the darkness that enveloped the area; otherwise, she might have seen the troubled look in his eyes. No one had proposed lighting another fire, however far away Kouji had borne the group from the site of their encounter with the Royal Knights. The light of the moons was more than enough to go by, they had all agreed, and with sunrise not too far off, it would do better to simply get what rest they could and preserve their strength. J.P., Tommy, Bokomon, and Neemon were already asleep a little ways off, while Takuya was closer at hand. He had awoken long enough to assure them all that he was fine, and then Zoe, seeing his state and not even needing Kouji's account of what had happened, all but commanded him to go to sleep, and promised to add to his injuries if he didn't relax and give his body time to recuperate. To pacify her, Takuya gave in, but the lack of complaining suggested he knew as well as Kouji that she had acted in concern.

And now that same worry, though gentler in form, was turned to himself. "Kouji, what's wrong?" Zoe urged. He didn't speak, and she touched his arm comfortingly. "Everyone's okay—"

"Barely," he blurted heatedly. She withdrew, startled, and he ignored it. "…Earlier, when you fell the first time…" The mental picture played over in front of him, burning into his heart the reality of his own foolishness. "I was so stupid…" Zoe blinked, confused, and he went on heavily, "I dropped my D-Tector right before we fell. I just…dropped it."

"So?"

He looked at her. "So, it's because of my mistake that Takuya almost got killed. We all could have. Because of me," Kouji murmured, turning away. All those times he had scolded Takuya about not caring for anyone but himself, and then he goes and does something so thoughtless—why?

"I guess I was just worried," he said in response to his question. "When I saw you falling, I just sort of…locked up, or something. You know I'm never like that, Zoe."

That's why it's eating me up inside.

"And then with everything that was happening, I just…lost it."

They were both speechless for some time. Kouji glanced here and there between the trees, but saw nothing; as Lowemon, Kouichi was prowling around the area for security, partly since he felt more at ease in the dark than any of them, and partly because he had said he felt restless. When asked about the beating he had taken from Crusadermon, he claimed to have sustained nothing serious. Kouji had a gut feeling his brother was hiding something, but he didn't press.

"It doesn't matter," Zoe said, flatly and abruptly, as though determined to put an end to an over-discussed and obvious argument. "Everyone makes mistakes at one time or another, so you shouldn't beat yourself up about it every time it happens." Standing up, she placed her hands on her hips and looked down at him sternly. "We all walked away in the end, didn't we? More or less," she added as an afterthought. "But the point is, we're all alive to move on. And besides, you're supposed to learn from your mistakes, Kouji. Just look at Kouichi!" Kouji's head snapped up as her tone softened. "He forgave himself for everything he'd done when he saw that there were people who cared too much for him to let his past stand in the way."

Kouji stared. She was right.

His stomach churned with guilt; perhaps it was a part of her plan, but Kouichi would have heard every word of what she said if he were anywhere near the clearing.

The corners of Kouji's mouth twitched slightly. He gave Zoe less credit than she deserved. She saw his reaction and bent down, holding out her hand, and for a second he was reminded of what seemed like so long ago, when she had given the same offer—the first time, he had rebuked it, and the second had accepted it grudgingly. Now…

Now he took it, willingly and with a smile, and climbed to his feet. Zoe studied his face, uncertain if he were serious. "Oh!" She let go and fumbled about in her skirt pocket. "That reminds me—this is yours." Kouji looked down to see her press his bandana into his fingers.

Puzzled, at first he didn't know what to say, and then meeting her eyes nodded appreciatively. "Thanks."

"Prego," she said. "You're welcome." As Kouji reached up and tied the dark cloth over his hair in its usual fashion, Zoe attempted ineffectively to stifle a large yawn. He raised an eyebrow, and she grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Tonight just really wore me out…and I wasn't even the one fighting. You must be exhausted."

Kouji shrugged. "I've felt worse." Right then he, too, yawned involuntarily, making her cross her arms.

"Right." She sat back down under the tree, where she smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt before talking again. "I'll take next watch after Kouichi; you go ahead and rest."

Normally, he would decline the proposal, but fatigue was clinging to his every joint. "You sure?"

"Mmm-hmm."

He joined her on the ground. "Wake me up if you see or hear anything, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah." Zoe waved a dismissive hand, and then caught his sleeve as he went to turn away. "Hold on." Folding her legs under her, she turned to face him and patted her lap. Kouji saw what she meant and blushed a little.

"Uh…that's okay…"

"Oh, come on. I owe you for earlier."

He almost said, No, you don't, but she took him by the shoulders, half-playfully, half-forcibly, and pulled him back until he was lying down with his head on her knees. He stared at her, his view now upside-down, and sighed. She'd just carry on till dawn if he didn't consent to it, and he was too tired to argue. Kouji closed his eyes.

"Fine." Once the awkwardness had passed and he had grown used to the warmth of the skin on her legs occasionally brushing against his neck, his muscles loosened up and went almost numb at the prospect of resting. The sounds of the others steadily died away, along with what little light the night sky provided.